Section 737.410  Emergency Operation

a)         Each Local Provider shall make provisions to meet emergencies resulting from failures of commercial or power service, sudden and prolonged increases in traffic, illness of personnel, fire, storm, or other natural disasters.  Each Local Provider shall inform employees of the procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency in order to prevent or minimize interruption or impairment of telecommunications service.

b)         Each existing central office will contain a reserve battery supply of 5 hours when emergency power generators are not installed and 3 hours when they are in place.  Central office batteries shall be maintained in accordance with Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standards as adopted in Section 737.420, and records verifying maintenance shall be kept on site.  New central offices or central offices being replaced shall contain a reserve battery supply of 8 hours when emergency power generators are not installed and 5 hours when they are in place.  In central offices without installed emergency power generators, a mobile power unit shall be available that can be delivered and connected within 5 hours.

c)         In new central offices exceeding 3,000 working lines, a permanent power generator shall be installed.  For existing central offices having over 3,000 lines, permanent power generators shall be installed at the time of office replacement or battery replacement.

d)         Emergency generator units shall have available at least a 12 hour fuel supply.

e)         Emergency generator units shall be tested under load once a month.  A record of the test results shall be maintained.

f)         The requirements of subsections (b) through (e) apply to a Local Provider only to the extent that it owns and/or operates central offices.

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 364, effective December 22, 2014)