PSEG Unveils New Live Lines Trailer Trailer At South Huntington School

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — Birchwood Intermediate School fourth and fifth grade students were the first to learn about electrical safety in a new demonstration, as PSEG Long Island unveiled its new Live Lines Trailer at the school on Thursday morning, the South Huntington School District announced.

The utility's latest electrical safety educational tool was a new experience for students because the Live Lines Trailer sparks and flames as it teaches electrical safety.

"There was laughter, learning, and more than a few surprises as PSEG Long Island unveiled its brand new electrical safety teaching tool, the Live Lines Trailer, at the school in Huntington Station," the school district wrote.

Live Lines is a 40-foot-long, 15,000 pound trailer sporting a three-quarter-scale model of the electric distribution system. It includes high voltage wires, poles and other familiar items that can be found around any home or neighborhood. Students can now see how dangerous electricity can be when things go wrong, according to the district.

The teaching crew of real PSEG Long Island lineworkers set up certain scenarios, including a live wire down on a vehicle and metal fence, an aluminum pool skimmer coming into contact with an overhead wire, and a squirrel (stuffed toy used for demo) on the electric line shorting out the circuit. The students gasped in fascination as those demonstrations resulted in sparks, flames, and electric arcs. And there were more than a few jumps when they were surprised by the loud pop of a transformer blowing out.

Birchwood Principal Dimitri Bernadel said the teaching trailer fits right in with what his students are learning in science.

"We were so excited that our Birchwood students were the first on Long Island to see the Live Lines Trailer," Bernadel said. "One of the new mandates from the New York State Department of Education for elementary science curriculum focuses on energy and is called Light It Up! It’s designed to use more hands-on, three-dimensional, learning so for our students to actually see how electricity behaves fits right in with that concept."

The lineworkers also demonstrated the lifesaving importance of the personal protective equipment utility workers wear. A thick rubber safety glove with even a small hole in it was no match for a live wire, and a hot dog that stood in for a human finger eventually went up in flames when it came in contact with a metal toy pedal car that was electrified by a fallen wire.

"This Live Lines trailer was developed by our utility workers – the first responders on our team who work with dangerous electrical situations every day," said David Lyons, PSEG Long Island’s interim president and COO. "They created this visual tool to keep the public safe by teaching electric safety education to young children, adults and first responders."

The trailer can visit schools, camps, firehouses and events throughout Long Island. While the lessons are very serious, the personable lineworkers made the learning fun, and had the students laughing, squealing, and asking lots of questions.