PG&E Helps El Dorado County Resident Reach Emergency Care Amid Severe Winter Storm

In PG&E’s Sierra Division, crews were responding to a series of winter storms that dropped several feet of snow and downed trees across El Dorado County. Amid these challenging conditions, local first responders in the same area were addressing a different emergency: a resident with a critical medical issue. Time was of the essence as the resident was choking and struggling to breathe.     

Emergency personnel from the El Dorado County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire arrived on scene, ready to provide care, but were stopped by impassable conditions. The customer’s home was at the end of a two-mile private road covered in 3-4 feet of snow with intermittent downed trees. Time was critical, and responders needed help navigating the treacherous roadway. 

“First responders on the scene had already requested a tracked vehicle, but the estimated time of arrival was lengthy. In the meantime, they were using a Cal Fire skid steer with a snow blower attachment and had begun to make their way up the driveway, but progress was slow,” explained PG&E Public Safety Specialist Mike Webb, who received the initial call from the El Dorado County Emergency Operations Center.  

The El Dorado EOC was already aware that PG&E crews and contractors were in the area to restore storm-related outages and quickly called Webb for support.   

“My phone rang, the fire captain explained the situation and their needs, and we got right to it,” said Webb.  

In Placerville, PG&E's Troy Bard dispatched a tracked side-by-side vehicle, capable of handling deep snow and debris to support the emergency response. Once on scene, the vehicle transported first responders through the blocked section of the road, allowing them to safely reach the patient, provide treatment and bring them back to a waiting medic unit.  

“We were happy to help, and it made me so proud to be on the PG&E team," Webb said. "For context, this all went down around 9 p.m. on a day when everyone had been in the field since 6 a.m. We were inundated with downed trees, downed wires, tons of snow. And that call came in and no one batted an eye. We just got it done."

In explaining why this rescue was successful, Webb underscored the importance of teamwork and our strong relationships and close coordination with local first responders. 

“Working closely with local first responders is critical, especially in conditions like these. Our PG&E teams can provide resources that help emergency personnel reach people when every minute counts. Building and maintaining these relationships ensures we can act quickly to protect the safety of all our communities,” said Webb.