IBEW Local 1049, Hauppauge, New York, showed local fourth graders such a good time on their field trip to the Training Center, they hardly noticed they were getting a safety lesson at the same time.

A highlight of the day-long event was bucket truck rides for the 110 students from Ruth C. Kinney Elementary School in Islip Terrace, said Local 1049 External Affairs Director Ellen Redmond. Its their favorite thing, and they dont go too high, just high enough to give them a little bit of a sense of what its like to be up in a bucket, Redmond said. Even the teachers went up.

Co-hosted by the Long Island Power Authority, Hawkeye Construction and the Asplundh Tree Expert Company, Electric Safety Day was designed to teach kids to treat live power with a healthy measure of respect. Activities included trying on linemens rubber gloves and sleeves and placing a protective sleeve on a mock power line and a hands-on hot stick demonstration. Several trucks were on display, including a job boom material truck, two tree trim trucks, a line truck and three bucket trucks.

The event was first held two years ago after two Long Island kids nearly died after climbing poles, Redmond said.

IBEW Local Treats Students to Fun Day of Electric Safety

August 2001 IBEW Journal

Above Left - Local 1049 member Will Smith chooses volunteers to help with a wire-rigging demonstration as part of Electric Safety Day.