When severe weather strikes southeastern Wyoming, no one responds alone. Restoring power, protecting critical services and keeping residents informed takes teamwork. In Cheyenne, that teamwork is enhanced through a strong partnership between Black Hills Energy and Laramie County Emergency Management.

Customers may see utility crews restoring power after a storm, but there is a larger network of people working behind the scenes to coordinate resources, clear roadblocks and keep critical facilities up and running. Over the years, we have built relationships with emergency management leaders so we can work together to respond quickly and effectively when the unexpected happens.

"It's really hard to capture what knowing your community means and why it's so important," said Rachel Sisneros, Black Hills Energy's general manager for operations in Wyoming. "Jeanine and her team know what the community needs, and that's an invaluable resource for us."

She’s referring to Jeanine West, director of Laramie County Emergency Management, with whom we’ve developed a partnership through years of cooperation, training and shared experiences. Jeanine said the relationship has steadily grown stronger as both organizations have learned from each other.

"We've taught them more about what we do, and they've taught us more about what they do," Jeanine said. "We've had some great opportunities to train with them or train their folks. It's grown over the years, and it continues to grow."

Those connections become especially important during emergencies.

For Damien Parks, Black Hills Energy’s senior manager of electric and gas operations for the Cheyenne service area, working with emergency management is a regular part of responding to large power outages, severe weather events and other incidents.

"The knowledge and resources that Jeanine and the team bring is invaluable," Damien said. "It's a great way to funnel information into one stream so we know what to do and what is needed."

For example, during the 2024 Happy Jack Fire — one of the largest fires the county had experienced in years — emergency management activated a joint county and state emergency operations response, bringing agencies and partners together under one coordinated structure.

During the incident, emergency management worked alongside Black Hills Energy to safely manage power and natural gas systems in affected areas. Together, the teams helped determine when it was safe for evacuated residents to return home and resume normal activities.

The partnership also proved critical during the historic March 2021 winter storm that brought approximately 3 feet of snow to parts of the region. Emergency management coordinated specialized resources, including snow-capable rescue equipment, assisted stranded utility personnel and helped crews reach locations that would have otherwise been inaccessible.

For Jeanine, the experience highlighted what can happen when an entire community works toward a common goal.

"We couldn't have done it without teamwork," she said.

More recently, the value of the partnership was put to the test in March 2026, when hurricane-force winds swept through Cheyenne and surrounding areas. Wind gusts exceeded 100 mph in some locations, causing extensive damage and widespread power outages.

For our crews, the focus was clear: restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

"Our team was really focused on getting power back to our customers," Rachel said. "They worked 16 hours plus that day."

At the same time, emergency management was coordinating a broader community response. Jeanine's team helped identify critical infrastructure needs, communicate with public agencies and support utility crews facing challenging conditions.

"We worked with Black Hills Energy on what areas of town were more critical than others for power," Jeanine said. "We had conversations about critical infrastructure and getting our hospital, public safety center and jail off their backup generators."

Emergency management also helped Black Hills Energy navigate practical challenges created by the storm. Jeanine's team coordinated road access, assisted with tree-clearing resources and helped expedite support from contractors traveling into Wyoming.

"We had contractors coming in from out of state," Damien explained. "Jeanine was able to help us get them here quicker by working with Highway Patrol to open up some roads."

The collaboration was also important from a public safety perspective. As powerlines came down across the community, emergency management personnel helped secure affected areas until utility crews could safely assess and de-energize equipment.

"They were able to help cone areas off to make the scene safe until we were there to confirm that the line was de-energized," Damien said.

Meanwhile, Black Hills Energy crews were working through difficult and dangerous conditions; some employees were repairing infrastructure while winds continued to exceed 100 mph.

"It was a tough job and it was a long job," she said. "I was very proud of the team that day."

The partnership works so well because it exists before and after storm response. Emergency management and Black Hills Energy routinely participate in tabletop exercises, planning sessions and after-action reviews. Those opportunities help both organizations understand each other's roles before an emergency occurs.

"We do tabletop exercises. We have meetings with them," Damien said. "It's a great way to understand what could go better and what went well, and improve upon things for the next one."

According to Jeanine, the familiarity we've built makes emergency situations easier to manage.

"We know who to call. We know who to talk to," she said. "It's like talking to our friends."

That level of trust allows both organizations to focus on their responsibilities when conditions become challenging. Emergency management can coordinate resources, shelters and public communications while our crews concentrate on restoring electric and natural gas service.

The partnership is especially important when helping vulnerable community members, including residents who rely on electricity for medical equipment.

Emergency management teams maintain connections throughout the community and can assist with shelter coordination and outreach during extended outages.

"They help us keep our customers safe," Rachel said. "They help us serve our energy reliably."

The collaboration that has proven so successful continues today. Whether preparing for wildfire season, planning for severe weather or responding to unplanned emergencies, both organizations remain committed to working together on behalf of the communities they serve.

The result is a partnership built on communication, trust and a shared mission: keeping Cheyenne safe, connected and resilient.

When the next emergency comes, residents won’t know about every conversation, phone call or coordination effort happening behind the scenes. But thanks to the strong relationship between Black Hills Energy and Laramie County Emergency Management, they can be confident that dedicated teams are already working together to help the community weather the storm.