When knowledge
can be the
difference
between life and
death, the
education of our
emergency
service
personnel is
never finished.
Local
firefighters,
E.M.T.s and
police gathered
in an EnerStar
warehouse
Thursday to
witness Kyle
Finley’s “Live
Line Demo.”
Finley, a former
lineman,
instructed the
various
emergency
services on the
proper policies
and procedures
for dealing with
downed power
lines and
utility
disconnection.
Finley
demonstrated the
danger of high
voltage lines on
everything from
hotdogs, pool
skimmers,
balloons, fake
birds and a fake
squirrel named
“Rocky.” He used
the hotdog, due
to its
resemblance in
size and
composition to a
human finger.
"For the
emergency
service people,
the importance
of seeing a
safety program
like this...
it’s real,”
Finley said
after the
demonstration.
“You can see the
flashes, hear
the explosions,
smell the
hotdogs cooking
and help them
understand that
when they’re out
there on that
accident with
the electricity,
where you can’t
hear it, smell
it or see it, if
you come in
contact with it,
it’s too late.”
"Emergency
personnel from
Paris, Kansas,
Marshall, Hume,
Oliver,
Grandview and
Vermilion walked
away from the
demo with a
renewed respect
for electricity
and valuable
information that
will help them
keep themselves
and the public
safe.
“This is just a
great way for
them to have
first-hand
experience with
it in a
controlled
situation, so
that when
they’re out
there in the
middle of the
night, they
don’t make a
fatal mistake,”
Finley said.
“They do a
wonderful job
protecting our
communities. We
don’t want them
hurt.”
The Paris
EnerStar
Electric
Cooperative
hosted Finley’s
safety session
and provided
dinner and
refreshments for
those who
attended.
