Depend on powered medical equipment? Make an outage plan

Your backup plan needs to work before the lights go out.

The answer in 2 lines. If you use a ventilator, oxygen concentrator, feeding pump or other powered medical equipment, ask your clinician and equipment supplier for a written outage plan. Confirm compatible backup power, realistic battery runtime and when to leave for a place that can support your care. Ask your electric utility about medical notification programs, but never assume enrollment guarantees uninterrupted service or immediate restoration. If loss of power creates an urgent medical need, call 911.

The first steps

Make a medical backup plan. Ask your care team what happens if each device stops, which backup is appropriate and when you must relocate. Print the FDA medical-device outage booklet and complete its planning information together.
Check actual battery coverage. Have your equipment supplier explain charging, battery condition, alarms and runtime at your prescribed settings. Write down the instructions; do not rely on a general battery estimate.
Arrange help and transportation. Choose someone who can check on you and a destination that can meet your medical and electrical needs. Confirm accessibility, supplies and transport before an outage.

Stop: danger

Urgent loss of medical support: call 911 if essential equipment stops and your backup cannot safely support you, or you have an urgent medical need. Explain which device you depend on and your location. Do not wait for the utility's restoration estimate.
Generator exhaust can kill: never run a portable fuel-burning generator inside a home, garage or other enclosed space. Follow CDC outage precautions: operate it outside, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, with working battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms.

Build the plan around your equipment

Use the FDA outage booklet to record device information, care contacts and backup arrangements. Keep a printed copy beside the equipment so another caregiver can follow it without internet access.

Ask whether settings or alarms need checking after power returns, and whether the device needs inspection after exposure to water or damage. Backup batteries and portable power supplies must be compatible with the equipment. Have the supplier confirm suitability before purchasing or connecting anything.

If you use an oxygen concentrator, ask your prescribing clinician and supplier about an appropriate backup oxygen supply and how to use it. Do not change prescribed settings or improvise a substitute treatment.

What not to do

Assuming medical enrollment prevents storm outages or guarantees that your home will be restored first.
Waiting until the battery is nearly empty to arrange transport or start your agreed relocation plan.
Buying a backup power unit based only on its advertised capacity, without checking device compatibility and expected runtime.
Changing treatment settings to save power without instructions from your clinician.

What medical utility programs can do

Programs vary by state and utility. Use the customer-service contact on your electric bill to ask about medical certification, outage alerts, renewal requirements and any available backup-power assistance. Keep your contact details current and ask exactly what enrollment provides.

For example, California's Medical Baseline information explains qualifying medical needs, energy allowances and notification arrangements. Read the eligibility section, then obtain the applicable application through your utility. This is a California program, not a nationwide registration system.

Local assistance and your destination

Ask whether your community offers voluntary emergency assistance registration, and what help it can actually provide. In New Jersey, the official power-outage page links to Register Ready: follow that link to learn how to register assistance needs. The page also explains when electricity-dependent residents should call emergency services.

Confirm that any proposed shelter or alternate location can support your particular equipment and care. A building having electricity does not establish that it can meet your medical needs.

Good to know

Pack prescribed supplies, device instructions, charging equipment and your written contact information together.
Review the plan whenever your treatment, equipment, batteries, address or caregiver arrangements change.
Use the CDC power-sources checklist to identify lighting, communications and other backup needs alongside medical equipment.

Illustrative example: In New Jersey, Denise uses an oxygen concentrator. Her care team explains her prescribed backup supply, and her supplier demonstrates it. She writes down when to leave, confirms a suitable destination and arranges transportation with a relative. During an outage, she follows that plan instead of waiting for a restoration promise.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 4, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for general medical-device preparedness and generator precautions; medium for local assistance and utility programs, whose eligibility and services vary. Battery runtime and clinical decisions require individual confirmation.