June 17, 2024

Met-Ed line workers recently brought the Live Wire Electrical Safety Trailer to one of the nation’s premier trade shows for first responders – the PA Fire Expo held at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pa. Hosted by the Lancaster County Firemen’s Association, the expo showcases the latest innovations in firefighting, including new equipment, safety gear, rescue techniques and education and training courses.

Our line workers used the safety trailer to show first responders how to stay safe around electrical equipment and other energized objects. And while not every one of the expo’s 10,000 visitors got to witness one of the four safety demonstrations, our goal is that those who did will spread the word among their coworkers, friends and family about the hazards of working or playing around energized electrical equipment.

Met-Ed’s custom-built safety trailer is a great tool to safely highlight both the visible and the hidden dangers of electricity. First responders routinely encounter many of the real-life scenarios depicted on the trailer, such as an aluminum ladder coming into contact with live wires, a car door being energized by fallen wires and a metal shovel striking an underground power cable.

According to Tim Rahn, Manager, Operations, a lot of people – including first responders – think that if a power line is on the ground, it’s not energized or dangerous.

“It’s second nature to want to rush in to help victims in a car crash, but everyone needs to assume that any wire on the ground is live and energized,” said Tim. “They need to stay at least 30 feet away – about the length of a school bus.”

One of the expo attendees asked Tim to explain how electricity gets into the ground. Tim explained that electricity always looks for a path to enter the ground, rendering any spot where live wires lay on the ground energized and extremely dangerous.

Safety trailer demonstrations for first responders are just one component of FirstEnergy’s Stop. Look. Live. corporate safety campaign to help educate the public and keep people safe from live wires and other electrical hazards.