It depends. Removing a branch from a line is quick and relatively simple. Replacing a broken power pole or digging up buried cable to find and repair a fault is a much longer process. Outages can last from minutes to hours, even days depending on the severity of a storm or other event. Your location also affects the time it takes to get power restored. If you live in a rural area, it might take FEC crews an hour or more just to arrive on location (especially if they need to leave their home in the middle of the night). Then, they need to inspect equipment, determine the cause, and develop a plan to restore power safely. Sometimes members call within a few minutes of their power going out wondering when it will be back on. In reality, our crews haven’t had a chance to arrive on scene yet, let alone figure out what’s causing the problem.
One thing that is consistent, however, is that Co-op crews, often braving dangerous weather conditions and working through the night, do everything they can to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. It’s a critically important, dangerous job that FEC crews take very seriously.
Safety (yours and ours) is our top priority.
While Flathead Electric Co-op likes to restore power as quickly as possible after an outage, it is even more important that our employees go home safely to their families at the end of the day. Our crews are trained to take the time and safety measures they need before making repairs to electrical equipment.