We would like to make a few recommendations regarding electrical hazards that could make your job a lot safer: 

Many firefighters rely on the main disconnect to de-energize a building or home. BE CAREFUL! Many older businesses or homes have circuits that are separate from the main disconnect. Also, some buildings have two sets of breakers in different areas.

Cutting the service drop is not recommended and can be very dangerous.

Pulling a meter is very dangerous and we ask that you do not do this under any circumstance. The possibility of a short that would explode the meter is very real and can be fatal.

• Under certain circumstances, pulling a meter can result in a large arc or flash, resulting in injury to the individual attempting to pull the meter.
• There are also some meters, known as CT’s, who do nothing more then measure the amount of power used, and pulling it will not shut off the power in the structure.
• New meter sockets have a by-pass switch. To pull the meter you have to close the by-pass switch. So once you have pulled the meter the house will still be energized because the switch is closed-in. You have to reach in the meter socket to move the by-pass lever. Only qualified workers are allowed to do this.

In the event of a fire, contact us or the appropriate electric service provider as soon as possible. We have crews on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and they are trained to de-energize the service safely to protect you and the public.  

We would be happy to come to a meeting and provide electrical safety training for first responders. We also have a video about electrical safety for first responders that we can mail you.