The Importance of Electrical Safety

Local utility companies join forces to teach young students

Northern Wasco County PUD Lineman Ryan Mancui, left, and Wasco Electric Lineman Andy Gardipee ask students how to be safe around electricity.
Northern Wasco County PUD Lineman Ryan Mancui, left, and Wasco Electric Lineman Andy Gardipee ask students how to be safe around electricity. The utilities pair up every year to provide safety information to local schools.

By Traci Brock

Wasco Electric Cooperative and Northern Wasco County PUD annually participate in joint school safety programs to local schools in The Dalles and Dufur.

During these presentations, we demonstrate the importance of electrical safety to first, third and fourth graders.
Our electrical safety demonstrations teach students the dangers of electricity and important safety tips, such as what to do when they see a downed power line.

This year, Northern Wasco County PUD lineman Ryan Mancui and Wasco Electric Cooperative linemen Dan Funkhouser, Andy Gardipee and BJ Ayres used a display the students can relate to—a house, barn, trees, power lines and tractors—and taught the children what can happen if they come in contact with a downed power line.

At the end of the presentation, WEC linemen took students outside to see the bucket truck and the important safety tools used when maintaining and repairing power lines.