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Emergency Generator Compliance in Philadelphia (May to September)

  • Writer: Hannah Fried-Petersen
    Hannah Fried-Petersen
  • 4 days ago
  • 2 min read

Updated: 21 hours ago

Facilities in Philadelphia that operate emergency generators or fire pumps are subject to specific regulatory requirements between May and September. This is because Air Management Services (AMS) has guidelines to help reduce pollutants during the summer months when hot and sunny conditions cause emissions to form ground-level ozone that makes outdoor air unhealthy to breathe. 


These summer months are sometimes called “Ozone Season”. To reduce these impacts and help protect our air quality, the City enforces stricter operation limits and reporting requirements during the summer months.


Three Keys to Compliance During Ozone Season 


If your facility operates emergency generators or fire pumps in Philadelphia, there are three critical factors to keep in mind between May and September:


  1. Air Quality Index (AQI): Facilities cannot operate generators and similar equipment on days where the Air Quality Index is orange or red *. Facility personnel can check the AQI forecast for the following day or sign up for automatic alerts.


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  1. Time of Day: Facilities cannot operate generators and similar equipment throughout the day, even when the AQI is normal. Most permits limit non-emergency operation to the evening, overnight and very early morning. The exact times are noted on your permit.


  2. Recordkeeping: Facility personnel must note the date, time and duration of any generator use during Ozone season as well as the AQI for that day.


Violations & Fines:


  1. If your facility operates generators on days where the AQI is greater than 100, or outside of the permitted times, your facility may receive a violation and fine from the City of Philadelphia AMS.


  2. If your facility does not record the date, time and duration of generator operation during ozone season, including the AQI for each day, your facility will likely receive a violation and fine from the City of Philadelphia AMS.


NOTE: City of Philadelphia AMS advises that even routine generator maintenance should be conducted per Ozone Season restrictions. This means during permitted hours and not on days with an AQI over 100.


Assistance is Available:

If you could use some assistance with reviewing requirements for operation and record keeping, please contact us at info@eesolutions.net or 215-704-1506. 


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EES recommends subscribing to EnviroFlash to receive Air Quality Index (AQI) forecasts. Each day after 3 PM, you'll get an email with the forecast for the following day. You can also choose to receive notifications only when the AQI is expected to exceed 100.


* REMINDER: Ozone restrictions do not apply for equipment operation during an emergency.



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