The main fear is that a long-lasting widespread blackout will have two effects: It may cause a spike in crime and it may cause a similar spike in road accidents. The plan will aim to make official reaction much more organised and to keep the public well informed.
The meeting at Provincial Hall, chaired by Vice-Governor Jamroen Tippayaphongthada, discussed the four-point plan, put together by the Provincial Department for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
First 15 minutes: Electricity officials must locate the fault and then alert all concerned.
15-30 minutes: Electricity officials must identify which parts of the island are affected and, again, tell all concerned about their findings.
The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) will send staff to affected areas with emergency lighting trucks, giving priority to important public facilities such as hospitals and the airport, along with economically important areas, and areas where there are many tourists.
Media will be informed so that they can let the public know what is happening.
30 minutes upwards: Local authority security organisations, including volunteers, must supply temporary lighting to local communities; monitor and control traffic, especially at intersections; and keep watch for cases of theft, for fires and for people hurt or suffering from medical conditions as a result of the outage. Media will continue to be given updates.
After power is restored: All concerned will check how well it is working and report on any equipment that has been damaged. Emergency personnel will be stood down. Once again, the media will be informed.
When officials are sure that the blackout is over completely, a press conference will be held so that the media can inform the public what happened and how it was solved.