August 8, 2022

Flying a drone can be a lot of fun for youngsters, but just like driving a car, there is an inherent responsibility that goes along with the activity.

“Parents should remind their kids that when they operate a drone, they are the pilots of a real aircraft,” said Don Bernier, captain, Flight Operations. “Be sure to suggest safe places to fly – wide open spaces far away from power lines, substations and other electrical equipment.”

With the growing number of drones now hovering in the skies above our service territory, FirstEnergy’s Public Safety group is working with Communications & Branding to increase awareness about the potential dangers of flying near energized electrical equipment. We recently launched an educational outreach campaign – featuring an array of social media ads across a variety of platforms – that targets tweens and teens aged 12 to 18 and their parents about how to operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) safely.

The campaign, which started in July and runs through January 2023, is divided into three waves that were strategically developed for each time of year:

• Wave 1 (July 11 to Nov. 15)
  Promote The Drone Safety Zone video game – developed by Public Safety, Communications & Branding and its advertising agency – to children and provide general drone safety information to kids and adults.

• Wave 2 (Nov. 15 to Dec. 24)
  Encourage parents who are planning to purchase their kids a drone for the holidays to also teach them about how to operate the device safely.

• Wave 3 (Dec. 25 to Jan. 15)
  Provide information regarding how to unbox a new drone, download The Drone Safety Zone video game and flying safety tips.

According to Susan Samuelson, senior Advertising & Production consultant, FirstEnergy is leading the way among its peers regarding drone safety. “We’re really proud of the video game we helped to create to get the word out about operating UAVs safely,” she said. “The Drone Safety Zone is a fun and interactive way for us to connect with young drone pilots – and probably a few adult pilots, too.”

Candy Webb, manager, Public Safety, added: “Another important part of the campaign is notifying operators that if their drone gets caught in power lines or crashes into a utility pole or substation, they should never attempt to retrieve it themselves. They can call FirstEnergy at 1-888-LIGHTSS and we’ll get it back for them.”

More tips on staying safe around electricity and near power lines and equipment are available on FirstEnergy’s Stop. Look. Live. safety website at www.firstenergycorp.com/publicsafety.