Ohio Edison, a FirstEnergy Corp. electric company, will present its live wire electrical safety trailer at the upcoming Balloon A-Fair in downtown Ravenna, Portage County, on Saturday, Sept. 21. The demonstration will utilize the trailer's 7,200-kilovolt power lines to educate attendees on the power of electricity, recognizing dangerous conditions, and staying safe around power lines and electrical equipment.
The trailer and an information booth will be located in the "Motor Alley" section of the festival with demonstrations scheduled for 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Torrence Hinton, FirstEnergy's Ohio President, stated: "Safety is a top priority for our company, and this is a great opportunity to educate people of all ages about how to stay safe and avoid accidental contact with power lines and electrical equipment. I look forward to attending this event and promoting the importance of electrical safety within our local communities."
The trailer features various electrical equipment commonly seen in neighborhoods including power lines, transformers, overhead-to-underground systems conversion equipment, and sample homes receiving both types of service. Powered by a generator, it allows Ohio Edison crews to demonstrate the importance of staying aware of live wires in a controlled environment.
Trained facilitators from Ohio Edison will illustrate common causes of power outages such as animal contact with equipment or tree branches falling on lines. They will also highlight hazards faced by first responders when approaching vehicles that may be in contact with live wires.
Additionally, crews will emphasize avoiding contact with electrical lines when using household objects like ladders, kites, and shovels. Demonstrations will simulate contact between these objects and the trailer's power lines causing bright electrical arcs to show the dangers posed by electricity.
These safety trailer demonstrations are part of FirstEnergy's "Stop. Look. Live." corporate safety campaign aimed at educating the public about live wires and other electrical hazards. More safety tips can be found on FirstEnergy's public safety website.
This year's event marks the 45th Ravenna Balloon A-Fair held in Downtown Ravenna and Sunbeau Valley Farm from Sept. 19-22. Additional information including event schedules can be found on the event website.
Ohio Edison serves over one million customers across 34 Ohio counties. Follow Ohio Edison on X @OhioEdison and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OhioEdison.
FirstEnergy is committed to integrity, safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the nation serving more than six million customers across several states including Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate over 24,000 miles of transmission lines connecting Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.
CONTACT: Hannah Catlett (440) 554-5346