The first phase of our Public Safety Outreach program – designed to help protect members of the public who may come near our electrical lines and equipment – will soon be underway, with electrical safety information being mailed to first responders, certain third-party contractors and educational institutions within our service territory.

“We are kicking off our Public Safety Outreach initiative by targeting some of the groups that are most at-risk of coming into contact with energized electrical equipment,” said Candy Webb, consultant, Public Safety. “In our six-state service territory, we have about 4,500 first-responder organizations, more than 100,000 contractors and nearly 1.5 million school kids in grades K-6. That’s a large group of people we hope to help keep safe through our program.”

First responders include firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel. Third-party contractors are independent workers not employed by FirstEnergy, including heavy equipment operators, excavators, tree trimmers and a variety of other contractors who often work near or around energized electrical equipment.

To reach these groups, FirstEnergy is working with Culver Company to create direct mail, email and web-based educational resources. The initial mailer will include a letter, a detachable postcard that can be returned to request additional information, and a poster that can be mounted in a breakroom or other common area.

For school students, FirstEnergy has partnered with Moore Syndication, which focuses on delivering safety messages to youngsters through familiar characters like Louie the Lightning Bug^®. Moore will provide access to its comprehensive library of school safety programs, which includes its Electric Universe website, videos, printed materials and lesson plans for teachers.

“Kids are very impressionable, so by teaching them about electrical safety now, we can help to develop future members of the community who will know how to be safe around electricity,” continued Candy.

“Our safety-first culture extends beyond our company and into our communities,” said Jon Taylor, vice president, Utility Operations. “Providing information about electrical safety is just the first step in our broader effort to help keep the people in our service area safe.”

The Public Safety team is now working closely with Communications & Branding on a broader, branded campaign to educate the public about staying safe around electricity.

To view the electrical safety information that will be available, visit the following links: first responders, third-party contractors and educational institutions.

If you have any questions, contact:

• Candy Webb at (419) 249-5236, or via email at publicsafety@firstenergycorp.com
• Shelley Baber at  (724) 942-5262, or via email at mbaber@firstenergycorp.com

Louie the Lightning Bug® will help deliver safety messages to children.