By Ryan Duey

On Friday, April 19th Fort Riley will hold its Black Start Exercise through the installation from 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Black Start, mandated by Congress, is a day when Department of Defense Services are required to do a planned power outage to test an installation’s generators, infrastructure, and equipment in the event of a power emergency.

Gates will remain open for those who may be traveling to the installation that day, but areas will be without power at a given time, including housing, streetlights, and some facilities. On-Post USD 475 Schools will not be impacted during the school day.

Fort Riley advises residents to plan for an emergency situation during this Exercise, including having a safety plan, building an emergency supply kit, and avoiding electrical hazards. More information on this Exercise can be found on the Fort Riley Website.