Apr

18-19

Emergency Response + Assistance Practices (Apr 18-19)

Emergency preparedness and business continuity planning is crucial to a timely response to business disruptions whether they are caused by weather, cyber attacks, or equipment malfunction. This forum provides an open discussion on pressing topics surrounding utility emergency planning and operations and offers leaders a platform to develop relationships and share insights that prove beneficial in an emergency.

Meet

The Program Development Team

General Details

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  • Program Chair(s)
  • Taras M. Sandulak, Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity Programs, FortisBC

    • Program Location
    • The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites
    • 404 South Figueroa StreetLos Angeles, CA 90071
    • Who Should Attend
      • Operations managers
      • Emergency management coordinators
      • Disaster recovery planners
      • Directors of business continuity planning
      • Emergency preparedness supervisors
      • Managers of emergency services
      • Emergency planning and response specialists
      • Safety specialists
      • Parties to the Western Region Mutual Assistance Agreement
      • Service company members
  • Registration Options

  • Member: $499 USD
    Regular: $899 USD

    Registration prices increase by $100 after April 10, 2022. Registration includes ERAP welcome reception, breakfast and lunch Tuesday, and all meeting materials, as well as attendance at the WEI Operations Conference reception.

    Registration to ERAP provides a $200 combo discount registration to the Operations Conference. The registrant should register first for ERAP to receive the $200 discount to their Operations Conference.

    Attendees are encouraged to take a moment to review the local guidance related to COVID-19. Please note that Los Angeles has unique requirements related to the verification of vaccination status at local restaurants, businesses, and indoor public areas. Please take a moment to review the city’s current guidelines so you are prepared for your visit.

  • General Cancellation Policy
  • Due to contractual obligations, cancellations received 15 business days prior to the program will receive a full refund. Cancellations received 6 to 14 business days prior to the event will receive a refund, less a $100 administrative fee. No shows and last minute cancellations, 5 business days prior to the event or less, will be responsible for the full registration fee. Substitutions from your organization for the same event are always welcome.
  • Participation Policy
  • Western Energy Institute programs and events are open to energy companies (including gas production and electric generation, gas and electric transmission and gas and electric distribution utilities). Select programs and events are open to energy industry product and service suppliers. Programs and events are closed to all media representatives and to the general public. Recording is not permitted for any portion of the event.
  • For more information contact Marco Henkel, Program Manager at (971) 393-3250.

Agenda

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Monday, April 18, 2022

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Registration + Open Networking

Arrive early to reconnect with others before we officially kick off the 2022 ERAP meeting.

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Welcome Roundtable
Facilitator(s): Taras Sandulak, Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity Programs, FortisBC
Speaker(s): Curtis Mentz, Senior Manager, Verizon Crisis Response Team, Verizon Wireless

Opening presentations and roundtable discussion on services and software solutions for emergency management and business continuity in today’s (post) pandemic world.

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Welcome Reception at the Hotel

Sponsored by Tempest Energy, LLC

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

6:30 AM - 7:30 AM

Registration + Breakfast

7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

Welcome and Introductions
Facilitator(s): Taras Sandulak, Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity Programs, FortisBC

8:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Weather Forecasting, Wildfire Risk Planning, Outage Prediction
Moderator(s): Robert Howell, Legal & Claims Strategy & Technology Manager, Southern California Gas Company
Speaker(s): Nic Wilson, Director, Product Management - Weather Risk, DTN

An introduction to best practices in electric and gas utility weather forecasting, wildfire risk planning, and outage prediction. Additionally, a case study review of the November 2021 atmospheric river flooding event, the 2022 summer forecast for western North America, and the Hawaiian tropical forecast will be presented.

9:45 AM - 10:15 AM

Break

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM

Emergency Management and Principles of ICS
Moderator(s): Nancy Monika Sacré, Construction Project Manager, Southern California Edison
Speaker(s): Donald Daigler, Director of Business Resiliency, Southern California Edison

Discussing the adoption of the public sector framework of emergency/incident management in the private sector, the speaker will share experiences of implementation at Southern California Edison and the ensuing industry feedback.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Lunch

12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Mutual Assistance 2021-22: Response Engagements and Lessons Learned
Moderator(s): Joanna Stelzig, Public Relations Manager, Tillamook PUD
Speaker(s): Eric Moore, Line Working Foreman, Tillamook PUD, Angelina Gibson, Director of Emergency Preparedness & Response, Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Presentations and discussion of recent mutual aid events, successes, challenges, and lessons learned in after-action reviews.

1:45 PM - 2:45 PM

Applicability of Business Continuity Plans in the Virtual World
Moderator(s): T.M. Sandulak, Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity Programs, FortisBC
Speaker(s): Edward Matley, Partner, Risk Assurance Services, PwC, Neha Prihar, Manager, Business Resilience, PwC

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Break

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plans in Today's Environment
Facilitator(s): T.M. Sandulak, Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity Programs, FortisBC
Panelist(s): Edward Matley, Partner, Risk Assurance Services, PwC

How do organizations look at business continuity vs emergency management and what is the nexus between the two?

This facilitated roundtable will take lessons learned from the previous session and discuss what business continuity plans look like in the (post) pandemic world?

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Current Issues Impacting your Organization
Facilitator(s): Taras Sandulak, Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity Programs, FortisBC

A review of hot topics that need further discussion and/or that were not addressed during the conference.

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Operations Conference Welcome Reception

All ERAP program participants are invited to attend.

Hotel + Travel

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  • The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites
  • 404 South Figueroa Street
  • Los Angeles, California 90071
  • Phone: 213-624-1000

  • Click here to make your reservation now.
  • Reservation Instructions

  • Please contact the hotel directly at (888) 236-2427 to reserve your room. Identify yourself as being with Western Energy Institute (WEI) Operations Conference to receive a special rate of $249 USD/night. This rate is guaranteed until April 3, 2022 or until the WEI room block is full.

Onsite Safety + Health Info

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It is WEI’s policy that anyone attending a WEI-hosted program be vaccinated for COVID-19. This policy does allow for a negative COVID-19 test to be submitted in lieu of vaccination if the attendee is unable to receive the vaccine and if permitted by local host cities or venues. This policy applies to all WEI staff, as well as attendees, guests, speakers, and exhibitors.

Fully vaccinated is defined by the United States or Canadian governments. WEI accepts the following as proof of vaccination: (1) a CDC or Provincial-issued vaccination card, (2) a photo of a CDC or Provincial-issued vaccination card (front and back); (3) a document of vaccination from a licensed healthcare provider; or (4) a digital vaccine record issued by the State or Province in which the attendee resides.

Proof of a negative COVID-19 test means a printed document or image on a phone from a test provider, laboratory, or government agency-approved at-home test method that shows a negative result of a PCR or antigen COVID-19 test within 72 hours before first entry.

Attendees must show a picture or document with vaccine status or a negative test result upon arrival at the program. Attendees without the required proof will be denied entry. No refunds will be given if any attendee is denied entry due to vaccine and/or testing requirements.

Please refer to WEI’s Safety + Health Code of Conduct for other important considerations.

Program Sponsors

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Thank you to our program sponsor!

Meet The Speakers

Taras Sandulak

FortisBC

Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity Programs
Learn More

T.M. (Taras) Sandulak is the manager for FortisBC’s corporate emergency management and business continuity program and has been in the role since 2016, bringing with him several years of experience in various capacities of emergency response, crisis management and occupational health/safety. He is responsible for managing 88 business continuity plans, 44 regulated emergency response plans to include: natural gas transmission, distribution, LNG operations, propane plant facilities, natural gas for transportation, electric transmission/distribution and hydro-electric generation. T.M. also holds 23-26 regulated exercises per year to include 3-5 Full-scale exercises involving multiple agencies. He is also responsible for EOC operations, training and the management of real-time emergencies throughout the province, providing advice and recommendations to senior leadership and the company executive.

He is an NFPA 1001 professionally trained firefighter, high-angle and confined space rescue technician as well as NFPA 472 Hazmat Operations certified, certified to ICS 400 as well as holding a National Construction Safety Officer designation. Previously serving as both an Infantry non-commissioned officer and commissioned officer in the Canadian Army for a total of twenty-four years and bringing extensive institutional and operational experience.

T.M. has a Master’s Degree in Disaster and Emergency Management from Royal Roads University, in Victoria, British Columbia and is on the part-time faculty of Northern College where he teaches Terrorism Response and Recovery.

Nic Wilson

DTN

Director, Product Management - Weather Risk

Edward Matley

PwC

Partner, Risk Assurance Services
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Ed leads PwC’s Crisis & Resilience practice in Canada and has more than 20 years of experience in the field.

His current focus is around helping clients, specifically in the Utilities sector, integrate lessons observed from their responses to COVID-19 and look for opportunities to enhance their organizational resilience through the alignment and coordination of different resilience disciplines such as emergency management, incident management, crisis management, business continuity, third party risk management, IT disaster recovery, and corporate security.

Ed is a member of the Canadian mirror committee for ISO Technical Committee 292, which is responsible for the development of the ISO standard for BCM – ISO 22301.

Joanna Stelzig

Tillamook PUD

Public Relations Manager

Nancy Monika Sacré

Southern California Edison

Construction Project Manager

Robert Howell

Southern California Gas Company

Legal & Claims Strategy & Technology Manager

Donald Daigler

Southern California Edison

Director of Business Resiliency
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Don Daigler is currently the Managing Director of Business Resiliency for Southern California Edison (SCE) one of the nation’s largest utilities. In this role he leads the company’s emergency management, business continuity, hazard assessment and mitigation, meteorology and other corporate resiliency initiatives.

Prior to joining SCE Mr. Daigler was the Director of Response Planning for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, DC where he directed all of the agency’s emergency response planning efforts. He was also responsible for leading the agency’s chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives programs along with the National Hurricane Program and Remote Sensing Program.

Mr. Daigler has more than 35 years of experience in emergency management, national/homeland security and business resiliency and has filled various leadership roles with the Department of Energy’s, National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Environmental Protection Agency in the areas of nuclear counterterrorism, research and development, health physics, and nuclear weapons testing. He also served in the United States Air Force and has a Bachelor of Science degree from Regents College in Albany, NY.

Eric Moore

Tillamook PUD

Line Working Foreman
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Eric Moore is a seasoned Line Working Foreman at Tillamook PUD, a rural electric utility along the Oregon Coast. Eric has over 29 years of experience in the electric utility industry. He began his career working at Tillamook PUD as a Ground Man. From there, Eric became an Apprentice Lineman, Journeyman Lineman, and then a Line Working Foreman. Over the years, Eric has responded to multiple requests for mutual assistance at utilities located throughout Oregon and California.
Eric has a true passion for the trade. He enjoys the camaraderie while working alongside fellow team members, the gratifying feeling of restoring power to a customer/community, and the satisfaction when jobs are completed. As a leader, Eric looks forward to passing on lessons learned and leading others in the work they do so they can succeed in their career endeavors.

Angelina Gibson

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Director of Emergency Preparedness & Response

Neha Prihar

PwC

Manager, Business Resilience

Curtis Mentz

Verizon Wireless

Senior Manager, Verizon Crisis Response Team

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