APS outlines wildfire safeguards, public-safety power shutoff plan for Payson area

Janet Dean, public affairs manager for Arizona Public Service in the utility's Northeast region, told the Payson Common Council on March 4 that wildfire risk drives the company's investments in vegetation management, equipment hardening, monitoring and operational protocols — and that public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) are the newest and most rarely used tool.

Why it matters: Payson sits inside APS's wildfire mitigation district and town officials said a PSPS could affect feeders that serve the hospital, parts of town and nearby Star Valley. A shutoff would affect water systems, medical-device users and local businesses and would require coordinated alerts and staging with county emergency managers.

Dean described five pillars of APS's wildfire mitigation program, beginning with vegetation management and defensible space around poles. She said APS has a hazard-tree program that depends on partners, noting the utility must secure permission to remove trees outside its rights-of-way. "We're working very closely with the Forest Service, state land departments," Dean said.

The utility's grid-hardening work includes replacing some wooden poles with steel where access allows, "fire wrapping" equipment on selected poles and targeted asset inspections. Dean told council APS spent about $100 million on fire mitigation work last year and uses foot patrols, truck patrols, helicopters and drones with infrared cameras for inspections.

APS said it has expanded on-site weather sensing and cameras: the company now operates close to 100 weather stations along its system and is installing…