First responders get unique look at dangers of dealing with downed electrical lines
Jackson, TENN. — There are countless dangers faced by first responders when they arrive on a scene. Some are more dangerous than others. Monday, they were offered the chance to see first hand how dangerous downed electrical lines can be.
Members of the West Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperative’s safety team are traveling the area with the very realistic demonstration.
Small groups from different departments were shown the demonstrations throughout the day at the Jackson Fairgrounds park. The crews powered up lines with a generator to demonstrate the dangers of everything from ladders touching low hanging live wires to what would happen if a person touched a wire laying on the ground or on a car.
“This is a visual that they won’t get to see but one time if they actually do it in the field,” said Brian Holland, safety coordinator. “These visuals will hopefully given them a respect for electricity and serve as a reminder to call the power company so they can go home to their families at the end of the day.”
Tuesday, the group will perform the same demonstrations for first responders in Henderson. On Wednesday, they’ll be in Brownsville.
