Emergency Department Visits During the Fall 2019 Public Safety Power Shutoff Events in California

Area of Science:

• Public health
• Environmental health
• Emergency medicine

Background:

• Utility companies in California implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) during high wildfire risk to prevent power line ignition.
• PSPS involves de-energizing electrical equipment to mitigate wildfire risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and emergency department (ED) visits.
• To investigate the impact of PSPS on different age groups and diagnostic categories.

Main Methods:

• Quantified daily PSPS exposure across California counties from September 15 to November 30, 2019.
• Utilized linear mixed models to estimate ED visit rates per 100,000 residents based on PSPS exposure levels.
• Analyzed all ED encounters, including age- and diagnosis-specific visits.

Main Results:

• An increase of 15 ED visits per 100,000 individuals aged 65+ was observed on days with the highest PSPS exposure compared to days without PSPS.
• Highest PSPS exposure levels correlated with increased ED visits for respiratory, cardiovascular, injury, and mental/behavioral health diagnoses.
• The study highlights a significant association between PSPS events and increased healthcare utilization.

Conclusions:

• Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are associated with adverse health outcomes, even with prior notification.
• Older adults are a vulnerable population disproportionately affected by the health consequences of PSPS.
• Mitigation strategies should prioritize the health needs of older adults during PSPS events.