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HSEMA says alert decisions are impact‑driven; urges stronger Pepco coordination
Summary
HSEMA described its role in coordinating government services during outages, defended impact-driven alert triggers, and urged improved data sharing with Pepco so the agency can identify vulnerable facilities and deploy services quickly.
Clint Osborne, director of D.C.'s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, told the committee HSEMA's responsibilities are to notify the public based on utility information, coordinate between the utility and district agencies, and assemble multi-agency responses for affected residents and critical services. "Our utility partners are responsible for investigating the cause, implementing solutions, and mitigating future disruptions," Osborne said, adding that HSEMA concentrates on community impacts such as hospitals, nursing homes and senior centers when assessing whether to open shelters or extend library hours.
Osborne acknowledged the challenge posed by Pepco's customer-account reporting and said HSEMA uses mapping and impact-assessment tools (drop-a-pin and ring overlays) to identify critical infrastructure and vulnerable populations. He supported greater data sharing to enable quicker, targeted outreach but emphasized the agency's approach centers on the nature of impacts (live arcing, health facilities) rather than a single numeric customer threshold. HSEMA committed to continue interagency coordination and to work with Pepco on trigger and outreach improvements.
