Bristow Fire Department receives training

Saturday evening, Bristow Fire Department received valuable electrical live line training provided by East Central Electric Cooperative.

East Central, a nonprofit rural cooperative, shares the Bristow area grid with OG&E. However, East Central generally covers rural areas outside of town rather than in the more densely populated areas within the city limits. Differing from OG&E, cooperative consumers are more than just customers; they are members, sharing an investment and possessing input in cooperative operations and management.

The electric cooperative serves areas of nine counties, divided into seven districts. Because they provide services to a relatively large area, the cooperative drives its live line demo trailer for trainings to an average of 7 locations in its service area each month, according to Katherine Russell, manager of member and public relations.

Ms. Russell further stated that they drive the demo trailer to fire depts, schools, events, organizations and other programs to educate attendees about safety around live electrical lines. Trainings for most groups lasts only 15 to 20 minutes, providing life-saving instruction. For fire departments, the training lasts from 40 to 60 minutes and includes additional safety measures specific to situational needs firefighters encounter on the job. Such situations include pulling electrical meters and encountering downed lines when responding to fires and being able to disern whether the lines are live or who to call for assistance.

The training also included introducing firefighters to safety devices used by cooperative linemen. One such safety device is a medallion or badge they wear that beeps when they move near a live line. Firefighters may also use those medallions in the line of duty when needed. For East Central, the goal is clear: prevent injury and promote safety for first responders and the public. In fact,

Ms. Russell conveyed that motivation, stating “For us, the most important thing is that we want our firefighters, schools, kids, organizations, and community members to be safe. This is a really popular and fun demo we have that helps keep people safe.”

For the demo, Ms. Russell and Member Service Representative Rory Mowdy performed most of the verbal instruction while Trevor Cheatwood, apprentice lineman, and Easton Soucy, apprentice lineman for construction, demonstrated the safety information using the trailer to several oohs, aahs, gasps, and occasional questions from firefighters.

In total, 18 of 22 firefighters attended the weekend evening training. Those in attendance included Chief Charles Conkling, Tyler Shelton, Ranceton Hays, Layton Eslick, John Conkling, Joseph Fisher, Wyatt Smith, Wade Snelling, Don Vess, Curtis Atwell, Lane Hinman, Dwight Luther, Steven Marlow, Josh Shelton, Bayleigh McSpadden, Micah Shaull, Garrett Manning, and John Dunbar.

Firefighters seemed interested and engaged in the training, asking questions and enjoying the fun and more colorful bits of the demonstration. A few of them even tried on some of the protective equipment. At the demonstration’s conclusion, all in attendance expressed gratitude for the information, thanking East Central staff present, and inviting them back anytime.