Firefighters offer electrical safety tips

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Wilmington firefighters offered tips on staying safe in dangerous electrical situations after a fatal incident Monday morning.

Master Firefighter Rodney Lester said people should treat all power lines as if they were live and to stay away.

Lester said if a driver's car is touching power lines, the driver should stay in the car if possible.

However if staying in the car is unsafe, Lester said a person can jump out of the car.

He said if someone has to get out, they should jump and land with both feet on the ground so they are never touching the car and ground at the same time.

Once they land, they should shuffle away from the car while keeping their feet on the ground.

Lester said if someone is in an electrically-charged area, they should not touch anyone nearby.

He said one of the misconceptions about electrical safety is that tires will protect against electrocution.

"A lot of times people think that because they're in a car that the tires are good insulators," Lester said. "But sometimes that false sense of security will actually lead them to think that they can get out of the vehicle because they're not being electrocuted at the time. The best thing you can do is stay in your vehicle until the power company can come and secure those power lines."

Lester said workers operating equipment that rises into the air should watch for lines overhead.

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