Safety for One, Safety for All

FirstEnergy line crews use traffic cones, road work signs and flaggers to clearly identify work zones to help keep the public safe.

July 17, 2019

FirstEnergy’s commitment to providing safe, reliable electricity includes efforts to keep customers safe around our electrical lines and equipment. To be more proactive in this important area, a new Public Safety group is focused on developing and actively managing a consistent program to protect human life, reduce exposure and eliminate events for any member of the public who may come near FirstEnergy lines or other equipment.

“We value the safety of every individual who is in proximity to our electrical lines or equipment,” said Shelley Baber, manager, Contractor & Public Safety. “Whether you’re a line worker, a first responder or a member of the public, safety is a core value at FirstEnergy that will not be compromised.”

A collaborate working group of representatives from nearly 20 departments involved in public safety – including Safety, Communications, Legal, External Affairs, Security and Emergency Preparedness – recently gathered as a first step to better understand all past and current initiatives.

“We tried to identify every group in our organization that has a touchpoint to public safety,” continued Shelley. “We discussed current and historical initiatives, interactions with customers, programs and materials – basically any public safety-related initiatives the departments have been involved in or are aware of.”

Public safety materials in the past have included handouts, booklets, mailers, social media posts and presentations. They also can include educational materials that FirstEnergy prepares for firefighters and other emergency responders, or to distribute at career fairs.

According to Candy Webb, consultant, Public Safety, it’s important that the group reviews any outreach related to public safety. “We’d like to be informed about any public safety initiatives occurring around the company,” she said. “Right now, there are fragmented efforts taking place. By partnering with other departments, we can combine our efforts to track information as we work to create a consistent public safety message across the company.”

If you are aware of any public safety efforts being conducted in your department, contact Candy Webb at 883-5236, externally at (419) 249-5236, or via email at publicsafety@firstenergycorp.com.