Emergency Switching

Emergency Switching includes any unplanned switching operations that occur due to events during storms, equipment failures, or even planned switching actions that fail or are incorrect. Unlike planned switching where the switching sheet is created and studied before it is issued, in emergency switching the switching sheet is created as the operations take place in real-time. Essentially, a switching sheet is created and implemented simultaneously. Steps are recorded on the Steps tab as the Control Tool actions are being performed, and each step is considered complete as it is being recorded.

Emergency switching operates just like planned switching, except that the Web Switching Management window and Viewer must both be in real-time mode. Whenever switching steps are recorded in a switching sheet using the real-time Control Tool, the operation is considered emergency switching. The switching sheet provides a record of the switching operation.

This section includes the following topics:

• Creating an Emergency Switching Sheet

• Recording Emergency Operations

Creating an Emergency Switching Sheet

Emergency switching sheets are typically created from the Work Agenda, Create Event, or Event Details window. When you create an emergency sheet from either of these applications, the sheet is automatically associated to the event and saved to the database. The associated actions pertaining to the event, including the Open and Close step operations, will be included in the new sheet. The sheet cannot be deleted and will always remain associated to the originating event.

When an Emergency switching sheet is created that results in the sheet being associated to a device, then all device related attribute fields on the Request tab will be populated.

To create an emergency switching sheet, do one of the following:

• With an event selected in the Work Agenda, select Switching... from the Tools menu.

• From the Event Details Window, select Switching... from the Actions menu.

• From the Create Event window, select the Restored Real Outage event type and complete the required fields. Select the Create Switching Sheet check box and then click OK.

Open or Create New Switching Sheet

The Open or Create New Switching Sheet dialog box will open with the options of creating a new Emergency or Outage Correction switching sheet (from the Switching Sheet Types pane) or opening an existing switching sheet that is associated to the event from the Pre-Created Switching Sheets pane.

Create New Sheet

1. Select the Emergency sheet type from the Switching Sheet Types pane. The Create button is enabled.

2. Click the Create button.

3. The Web Switching Management window displays the new emergency sheet.

Open an Existing Sheet

1. Select an existing sheet from the Pre-Created Switching Sheets list. The Open button is enabled.

2. Click the Open button.

3. The Web Switching Management window will load the selected switching sheet.

Alternative Methods of Creating an Emergency Switching Sheet

• From a device's Control Tool, select Switching Plans... and then select Create Emergency Switching Sheet... to create a new switching sheet.

• From the File menu, select New and then select Switching Sheet... to display the New Switching Sheet window. Select Emergency as the sheet type and click Create.

Note: An emergency switching sheet created this way will not be associated with an event.

Recording Emergency Operations

The new emergency sheet is automatically populated with Start and Finish dates. The Start date is the current date/time; the Finish date is defined as the Start date plus a predefined standard event duration.

Note: The duration is set to four hours in the product environment.

The sheet opens with the Steps tab active, real-time mode enabled, and recording on. If the Viewer is open, it transitions to real-time mode also. You can begin recording steps as described in the next section.

To record emergency switching operations, complete these steps:

1. Start a new emergency sheet as described in the previous section.

2. Create the steps by selecting devices in the Viewer window and selecting operations from the Control Tool. The process of adding recorded steps for emergency sheets is the same as for planned sheets in real-time mode. See “Adding Recorded Steps to a Switching Sheet” for details.

Once an action is completed in the Control Tool, the following occurs:

• The status of the recorded step is set to Completed.

• The Executed By field is populated with your user ID.

• The Completed Date field is populated with the date and time shown on the Control Tool or the current time if a Control Tool date/time value is not specified.

• Instructed actions use the date/time specified from the Control Tool to populate the Instructed Date field. If no Control Tool date/time value is specified, then the current time is used to populate the Instructed Date field.

• Any outages created by completing steps in Real Time that are associated to an Emergency switching sheet will be classified as Real Outages and not Planned Outages. These Real Time step completions can occur from the Control Tool or from Web Switching Management.

3. When you have completed all emergency steps, click the Tracking/Audit Log tab and set the sheet state to Completed by clicking the Complete button. The Confirm State Transition dialog box will open; click Yes to confirm the completion or click No to close the dialog box without completing the sheet. The Finish Date may be updated, if necessary.

• Optional: Add a comment in the text field to the right of the Complete button.

Note: Changes can no longer be made to the switching sheet while it is in the Completed state.