Due to the impending storm the Town of Billerica has declared a Snow Emergency Parking Ban from Midnight tonight until 6:00 AM Wednesday 3/14/18. Vehicles parked in the street interfering with snow removal will be towed and ticketed. Thank you for your cooperation.
Winter Storm Quinn Update – National Grid
National Grid – In the Merrimack Valley, we have about 119,000 customers out from Wednesday night’s
Nor’Easter that impacted more than 306,000 of our Massachusetts customers at peak. At this time Billerica is at 57% customers without power.
- We have set a global estimated time of restoration – the time we expect the last customer to be
restored – for midnight Sunday. As we continue to make significant progress with damage
assessment and repairs, we will refine this general estimate. We offer this global ETR so
customers may prepare for a worst-case scenario. We are making every effort to bring back
customers sooner
Our Progress
- We have more than 300 crews in the Merrimack Valley, which includes 50 crews that were shifted to the area Friday morning. The full complement of crews that was deployed to respond to Riley was reallocated for Quinn, largely in the Merrimack Valley.
- Last night, we had 157,000 Merrimack Valley customers out; we reduced this to 119,000 this morning – bringing back nearly 40,000 customers.
- We have helicopters in the air patrolling our sub-transmission lines. These are circuits that feed our distribution system: they’re the middle-men between transmission and the lines that feed our customers’ homes.
- Of the 29 23kV (sub-transmission – which feeds distribution) lines that were out of service, 13 have been restored, and the remaining 16 will be restored by midnight tonight. As we continue to target these sub-transmission circuits and the associated distribution lines, we will begin making steady progress to bring back significant numbers of customers.
- We began restoration of sub-transmission Thursday night, restoring 13 of the 29 impacted lines.
- Of the 14 substations originally without power, we have restored 11.
- 1 municipal (Merrimac) is still out. To be restored by early afternoon
- East Boxford sub to be restored by 4 pm
- West Chelmsford is still out – later today
Our Challenge
- Approximately 59,000 of these 119,000 customers are out due to sub-transmission issues; the remaining 55k customer outages are due to small outages/side taps, transformers, single customer outages.
- There is a significant amount of work coordination required to safely restore customers, and restoration is complex. First, at least one sub-transmission line supplying each distribution substation must be restored. Sub-transmission lines are located on rights-of-ways – off-road, in wooded and remote areas, and sometimes on easements along private property. To identify damage, patrolling is required, using either helicopters or ground patrol with specially trained resources using snow cats and off-road vehicles.
- We were unable, for safety reasons, to fly helicopters yesterday.
Winter Storm Quinn Preparation
- National Grid started planning for Winter Storm Quinn Monday March 5 even as we were in the
midst of restoration efforts for Riley.- Monday, March 5 – Began formulating plans for Quinn.
- Tuesday March 6 – Started Quinn implementation.
- Wednesday, March 7 – Deployed resources for Quinn.
- Thursday, March 8 – Assessing impacts from Quinn.
- Based on the storm’s forecast and development, we planned for a Type 4 event. Our emergency response plan guidelines, as established by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, sets an expectation for a 24-hour restoration phase from the first day we may safely restorepower. We quickly shifted to a Type 3 event during the middle of the storm, planning for a 72- hour restoration period. We had all crews available from Winter Storm Riley.
- Our branch directors, who lead local responses, instituted the zone approach. This involves predeploying resources to the field in the areas predicted to feel the biggest impact. This plan utilizes liaisons to communicate with key public safety officials (“zone leaders”) in our municipalities, who help coordinate between the city/town and our National Grid municipal rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be “assessing conditions?”
At the start of a storm or outage, ETRs are often listed as “assessing conditions.” This is because the damage to our infrastructure must be assessed and reported prior to any restoration taking place. Safety is also a first priority, and crews will not begin restoring power until the conditions are safe to do. During this time, 911 and downed power line calls are also the priority. Though we were able to work on some restoration yesterday, the first day of the storm impacts, we were primarily in public safety mode. This morning, for example, we were still handling more than 500 priority 2 and 3s, which include but are
not limited to road clearing, equipment hindering road access, and wires down. Utilities are first responders for all wires down calls.
I don’t see any crew in my area. Why?
Our electrical distribution system does not recognize town lines. The electricity source on which we may be working might not be in your town. Not every town has a supply line in their community. Crews may also be in rights-of-way, off-road areas on sub-transmission lines that feed our distribution systems. The Merrimack Valley’s sub-transmission lines were majorly impacted in this storm, and that is where most of our work yesterday and today is getting done.
Your crews are idling in parking lots and don’t appear to be doing any work. Why?
Coordination is key to our storm response. Our crews follow specific, targeted guidance to make their
response most efficient. There are a variety of reasons you may see crews idling, including:
- They could be awaiting authorization for work that needs to be completed before it is safe for them to re-energize an area, and are on stand-by to be ready as soon as needed.
- They could have just cleared one call, and are awaiting orders for their next.
- Often we stage crews in parking lots near outages as supervisors assess what they need to restore. The supervisor will survey the area and returns to crews with information. There are many places crews seek to stage while safely awaiting further instruction.
Wide Spread Power Outages and Trees Down
Power outage status is at 11,990 Billerica customers without power according to National Grid. Restoration will likely take days. Outage map can be found here:
https://www.nationalgridus.com/MA-Home/Storms-Outages/Outage-Map
National Grid’s phone number is 800-465-1212.
Our Public Safety Telecommunicators have been inundated with calls all night and this morning. Please DO NOT call to report power outages. The PD has no role in power restoration and those calls interfere with other priority incident handling.
Town crews are out addressing fallen trees on a case by case basis. Please avoid traveling at this time as there are many trees/limbs that are either down or at risk of falling.
Beware of downed wires and do not touch them. Please keep children away from wires and from under trees.
Juvenile Charged in Connection with Making Video that Depicts Threats of School Shooting
TEWKSBURY – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Tewksbury Chief of Police Timothy Sheehan and Billerica Chief of Police Daniel Rosa have confirmed that a 15-year-old male has been arrested and charged with threating use of a dangerous weapon and threatening to commit a crime in connection with allegedly distributing a snapchat video that depicted him holding a weapon that looked like an assault rifle and threating to commit a school shooting. That weapon was later determined by police to be an airsoft rifle that shoots BBs.
Yesterday, at approximately 10:34 p.m. police responded to a Tewksbury home at the request of the juvenile’s mother who had located a video that depicted the male showing the airsoft rifle in an attempt to make it appear real and making threatening remarks. Police located the video and subsequently located the airsoft rifle and another airsoft handgun and took possession of them. No firearms were located in the home.
The juvenile is a student at Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School. The preliminary investigation suggests the video was distributed to four students at the school.
Investigators do not believe this video was circulated beyond these students; however they encourage anyone with information or who may have seen the video to contact Tewksbury Police at (978-851-7373).
Investigators are not aware of any existing threat to the school. The community may notice an increased police presence at the school today. This is out of an abundance of caution and to ensure police are available to address any remaining concerns of students, parents, school officials and the community. The student is in a supervised situation today and is not on the Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School campus.
The student will be arraigned in Lowell Juvenile Court today. With the exception of youthful offender cases, juvenile court proceedings are closed to the public.
Juvenile Reports Suspicious Activity – Update – Misunderstanding
Update 2/16/18 – This incident has been resolved as a misunderstanding. No criminal intent.
Billerica –On Wednesday. February 14, 2018, at approximately 3:30 PM, a middle school student was dropped off at their school bus stop located at the intersection of Treble Cove Road and Wilson Street in North Billerica. The student explained how they observed an unknown adult male, described as a white male having brown hair, average build, being between 40-60 years of age, with no facial hair, exit an older model “tan colored” station wagon. The vehicle was described as possibly being a Buick Estate series wagon. The unknown male reportedly began speaking with the juvenile, stating “Hey, Hey come here buddy, come get in my car”. The juvenile used good instincts and did not comply, instead turning and running from the area directly to his house and told a parent. The police immediately responded to the scene but the vehicle had fled prior to our arrival. Billerica Police subsequently notified our School Resource Police Officers and also increased our patrol presence in the area. As of this time. the Billerica Police have no additional information as to the identification of the suspect or their potential motivation.
Any additional questions should be directed to Deputy Chief Roy Frost at 978-215-9653.
Most Wanted Suspect Arraigned in Connection with 2012 Billerica Homicide
For Immediate Release January 31, 2018
Contact: Press Office
781-897-8325
WOBURN – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Billerica Chief of Police Daniel Rosa have announced that Steven Touch, 28, of Lynn, was arraigned today in Middlesex Superior Court in connection with the 2012 Billerica homicide that resulted in the death of 22-year-old Quintin Koehler. Touch, an alleged leader of the Young Bloods gang, was apprehended in Lynn last night. Touch was charged with murder in the first degree, home invasion, attempt to commit armed robbery and two counts of conspiracy.
Clerk Magistrate Michael Sullivan ordered the defendant held without bail. The next scheduled hearing in this case is March 23.
At approximately 7:30 p.m. last night Touch was located at a residence on Empire Street in Lynn by the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, the State Police Special Tactical Operations Team, the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Lynn Police Department. He was allegedly found hiding inside a drawer built into a bed frame.
An arrest warrant was issued for Touch on January 10, 2017 by the Middlesex Superior Court after he failed to appear in court on the following charges: possession of a large capacity firearm, possession of firearm without a license, possession of a large capacity feeding device, carrying a loaded firearm and defacing a serial number on a firearm. Subsequently, on May 22, 2017, another arrest warrant was issued for him by the U.S. District Court in Boston for Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.
Touch was indicted by a Middlesex Grand Jury in June of 2017, after new evidence was uncovered by investigators allegedly connecting him to the July 7, 2012 incident where four men forced entry into a home at 795 Boston Road in Billerica, smashing the door from its hinges and fatally shooting the resident of the home, Quintin Koehler.
Touch, who was believed to be moving from residence to residence in an effort to evade police was added to the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section’s list of Most Wanted fugitives in September of 2017.
Touch was apprehended as part of a joint operation conducted by Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, State Police K-9 Section, State Police Special Tactical Operations Team, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, State Police Gang Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation North Shore Gang Task Force, Lynn Police, Billerica Police and Revere Police.
These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The prosecutors assigned to this case are Special Assistant District Attorney David Solet and Assistant District Attorney Jamie Charles. The Victim Witness Advocate is Meaghan McCarthy.