Bringing a Safety Focus to Balloon Fest
(Pictured, l.-r.) Supporting our safety demonstration efforts at Ravenna’s Balloon A-Fair were Becky Giltz, Advanced Distribution Associate; Matt Kasinecz, Senior Process Coach; Jerry Williams, Lineworker A; Amy Hopkins, Regional External Affairs Consultant; Ian Cunningham, Line Leader; Torrence Hinton; Alex Lloyd, Lineworker A; Al Terry, Line Leader; Ryan Martinez, Manager Market & Customer Program Analysis; and Kevin Consiglio, Analyst IV.
October 3, 2024
Ohio Edison employees educated the public about the importance of electrical safety at the 45th annual Balloon A-Fair* in Ravenna, Ohio, on Sept. 21. The team used the company’s live wire electrical safety trailer to showcase common safety scenarios the public may encounter that can present danger.
“Safety is a top priority for our company, and this is a great opportunity to educate people of all ages about how to stay safe and avoid accidental contact with power lines and electrical equipment,” said Ohio President Torrence Hinton, who greeted and gave remarks to the crowd gathered for the demonstration.
Using the trailer’s 7,200-kilovolt power lines, employees demonstrated the power of electricity, how to recognize dangerous conditions and, most important, how to stay safe around power lines and electrical equipment.
Safety trailer demonstrations are just one component of FirstEnergy’s “Stop. Look. Live.” safety campaign to help educate the public and keep people safe from live wires and other electrical hazards.
The trailer includes much of the electrical equipment seen in neighborhoods: power lines, transformers, equipment taking overhead power into underground systems and sample homes receiving both overhead and underground service. Trained Ohio Edison facilitators depicted some of the most common causes of power outages, such as animals contacting equipment or tree branches falling on lines, as well as the hazards first responders face when approaching vehicles that may be in contact with live wires.