Power Line Safety in Action: Duke Energy’s Power Line Demonstration for First Responders

“Today isn’t just about showing you what can go wrong—it’s about working together so we all go home safe. First responders, community leaders, linemen—we’re all on the same team.”

On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Duke Energy hosted a power line safety demonstration at the LCC Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing Center in Kinston, North Carolina. The event brought together fire and EMS personnel, law enforcement, emergency management officials, public service teams, and local leaders from Lenoir, Wayne, Craven, and Greene counties.

Duke Energy officials led the demonstration, providing hands-on training focused on identifying and safely responding to electrical hazards during emergencies. The session emphasized the importance of preparedness, interagency coordination, and public safety, equipping participants with essential knowledge for managing power-related incidents in the field.

Gearing Up: The Critical Role of PPE in Linemen's Safety

The session started at 10:30 AM with a Duke Energy official addressing the crowd, their voice steady despite the gusty wind rustling the nearby pines. They introduced the team, all clad in their daily personal protective equipment (PPE), a visual testament to the high-stakes nature of their work. “You’ll notice the guys, as well as myself up here on the stage. We’ve got our hard hats, we’ve got our safety glasses. I’ve got my work gloves on,” the official explained, gesturing to the bright yellow gloves worn by the linemen. These gloves, thick and insulated with a textured grip, were a lineman’s first defense against the high voltages they encountered daily.

“We have to test those on a daily basis, every morning or before we start our first job of the day, we do a spanking test on those gloves. We inflate them, roll them up, and listen for any air escaping—that’s how we catch even the tiniest hole. But we also send those gloves out every four months to a test lab… to make sure they don’t have any holes, punctures, tears, or anything like that in them,” the official elaborated. “One pinhole can be the difference between going home safe and not going home at all,” they added, their tone grave as they held up a glove, showing its reinforced cuffs and the faint smell of rubber lingering in the air.

The linemen also wore fire-retardant (FR) clothing, a deep navy blue with reflective strips that shimmered under the morning sun, designed to extinguish itself once a flame is removed. “You keep a flame on them, of course, they’ll burn. You take the flame away, and then they go out,” the Duke Energy official noted. “This stuff has saved lives—last year in Wayne County, one of our guys had an arc flash while working on a line. His FR gear caught the brunt of it, and he walked away with just minor burns instead of something much worse,” they shared, pointing to the thick fabric of their jacket, which bore the Duke Energy logo embroidered on the chest. The official explained that the FR clothing was rated to withstand intense heat, but its effectiveness depended on proper care—washing it with regular detergent could degrade its flame-resistant properties over time.

Attention then turned to the linemen’s boots, which were electrical hazard (EH)-rated and free of metal to prevent conduction. “The boots that we wear are what we call EH-rated boots. They’re electrical hazard-rated boots. Our boots are not allowed to have any type of metal in them, alright? They’re mostly sewn and glued together,” the official explained. These boots, rugged and tan with thick soles, were designed for the high-risk environment of electrical work, where even a small piece of metal, like a steel toe or shank, could conduct electricity, risking severe injury or death. The boots featured deep treads for traction on utility poles and wet surfaces, a necessity in eastern North Carolina’s often muddy, storm-soaked terrain. “These boots are tested to withstand up to 18,000 volts, but they have to be in perfect condition to do that. We check them every day for wear, cracks, worn soles, anything that could let electricity through,” the official noted, holding up a boot to show its reinforced stitching and thick rubber sole, which was designed to resist punctures from sharp objects like nails or glass often found on job sites. “After a big storm, you’re walking through debris—broken branches, glass, you name it. These boots have to hold up,” they added, tapping the sole to demonstrate its durability. The boots also had a slight sheen from regular polishing, and a small tag sewn into the tongue indicated their last inspection date—March 2025.

Tools of the Trade: Shotgun Sticks and Rigorous Safety Protocols

The team then demonstrated the use of “shotgun sticks,” yellow tools that are a lineman’s lifeline when working with high-voltage lines. “They could technically use these sticks up to 800,000 volts. We don’t use them on voltage that high, but it’s a big window of protection for the guys,” the official emphasized. The shotgun sticks, about six feet long with a hook at the end, were lightweight yet durable, made of fiberglass to withstand the high voltages they were tested for—100,000 volts per foot, as confirmed by biennial testing at a professional lab. The sticks had a glossy finish to prevent moisture absorption, which could compromise their insulating properties, and were equipped with a trigger mechanism that allowed the linemen to open and close the hook with precision. “We wipe them down with a silicone cloth every morning to keep them clean and dry—moisture or dirt can create a path for electricity, and we can’t risk that,” one lineman explained, showing the cloth they used, a small white square with a faint silicone scent.

The daily inspection involved checking for cracks, splinters, or damage. One lineman demonstrated by running his hand along the stick, pointing out its smooth surface and the small label indicating its last test date. The linemen then used the sticks to open and close switches on the trailer setup, their movements precise and practiced, a testament to years of practice, training, and experience.

Simulating Real-World Hazards: The Trailer Setup in Action

The demonstration moved to a trailer setup, powered by a green pad-mounted transformer that hummed softly in the background. A wire fed through a gray box, energizing a transformer, a cutout, an oil switch, and a light at the trailer’s end—a 60-watt bulb that glowed steadily as the setup was activated. A Duke Energy lineman explained the oil switch’s role in preventing outages, a common concern in the storm-prone region. “When you see your lights blink, come back on, blink, come back on… that’s actually that piece of equipment doing what it’s designed to do,” they said, noting that 70-80% of faults are temporary. “Think about it—maybe a squirrel gets on the line, or a branch falls during a storm. That switch tries to clear the fault so your power stays on,” they added, pointing to the large black device with a yellow handle. The team simulated a fault caused by a tree limb, animal, or car accident, on the line.

The oil switch clicked loudly, its mechanical sounds echoing through the air as it cycled through its attempts to clear the fault, before the yellow handle dropped with a noticeable clunk, signaling a complete outage. “When that yellow handle drops down, that’s when your lights go out completely. If you’re at home, that’s when you’d notice your fridge stop humming or your TV go dark,” the lineman clarified, pointing to the now-darkened bulb on the trailer. The lineman explained that the oil switch was filled with insulating oil to cool and extinguish arcs, and its design allowed it to attempt clearing a fault multiple times, typically three cycles, before locking out, a feature that saved countless outages from becoming prolonged.

Wildlife Woes: Tackling Animal-Related Outages

Next, the team addressed animal-related outages, a frequent issue in rural areas like Lenoir, Wayne, and Craven counties, where wildlife often interacts with electrical infrastructure.

One lineman demonstrated how animals, like snakes, climb transformers for warmth, especially in winter. Using a realistic-looking prop of a rat snake, he placed it on the transformer, causing a fuse to blow with a sharp pop that made a few attendees flinch. “A lot of times, when we get called, we get told that the transformer blew up.

Our transformers very rarely ever blow up,” a Duke Energy official reassured the crowd, explaining that cutouts protect the equipment by blowing the fuse instead. “What you’re hearing—that pop—is the fuse doing its job, saving the transformer so we don’t have to replace the whole thing,” they added, holding up a blown fuse, its metal strip visibly melted from the overload. The official elaborated on how squirrels, birds, and even larger animals like raccoons often seek out the warmth of transformers during colder months, leading to outages if proper mitigation isn’t in place.

“They’ll climb up there to find somewhere warm to take a nap or build a nest. In the winter, those transformers are like a heated bed for them,” the official said, pointing to a small bird’s nest propped on the transformer, complete with twigs, feathers, and even a few bits of straw to illustrate the point. The animal mitigation devices, small plastic guards that fit over the transformer bushings, were designed to prevent such incidents, but the official noted that high winds or storms, like the ones common in eastern North Carolina, could dislodge them, leaving the equipment vulnerable.

“We’ve had to replace hundreds of these guards after a big storm. Last hurricane season, we had a whole neighborhood in Craven County go dark because a guard got knocked off and a raccoon got in there,” the official shared, holding up a damaged guard that had been cracked by a fallen branch, its jagged edges a testament to the storm’s force.

Digging Safely: The Lifesaving 811 Call

The importance of calling 811 before digging was a key takeaway, especially for homeowners and contractors in the audience. A Duke Energy official stressed, “It’s a free service… We do ask, anytime you’re going to dig, call that 811 service, give them about 72 hours… they’ll locate all the underground utilities.”

A lighthearted example involved a “cat”—a stuffed animal prop with a comically exaggerated expression of determination—who didn’t call 811, dug into an underground utility, and blew a fuse with a loud bang, causing chuckles from the crowd.

“If you hire a guy to come onto your property and do some digging for you, guess who gets to pay to fix that underground utility? He’s going to pass that cost right on to the customer—could be thousands of dollars,” the official warned, emphasizing the financial and safety implications of neglecting this simple step.

The official shared a story of a recent incident in Wayne County where a homeowner, eager to install a new mailbox, dug without calling 811 and severed an underground power line, resulting in a $3,000 repair bill and a temporary outage for the neighborhood. “He thought, ‘It’s just a mailbox, how deep can it be?’ Turns out, there was a feeder line right there,” the official recounted, shaking their head.

The 811 service, they explained, involves a team of utility locators who use ground-penetrating radar and other tools to mark the locations of underground lines with colored flags or paint—yellow for gas, orange for communications, blue for water, and red for electric—ensuring that digging can proceed safely. “It’s not just power lines—there’s gas, water, fiber optic cables down there too,” the official added, showing a map of a typical Kinston neighborhood with a web of underground utilities marked in various colors.

First Responders’ Role: Safely Handling Electrical Meters

For first responders, the team demonstrated the dangers of pulling electrical meters during structure fires, a scenario that many firefighters from Lenoir, Wayne, Craven, and Greene counties had likely encountered.

Using a standard residential meter, a three-phase commercial meter, and a 320 single-phase meter, they showed how pulling a meter might not cut power and could even result in a dangerous arc. “If you do that, you have the potential of a flash coming right out of that meter base into your face,” a Duke Energy lineman cautioned, urging responders to wait for Duke Energy to disconnect power safely.

The lineman demonstrated the bypass handle on the 320-meter, a small lever on the side, lifting it to show how it allowed the meter to be removed without cutting power, leaving the lights on in the simulated structure. “You can, with enough force, rip that meter out without that bypass handle being up, but you’re breaking that load, and that’s when you get that flash,” the lineman added, his tone serious as he underscored the risk to first responders.

The demonstration included a real-world example from Craven County, where a firefighter had pulled a meter during a house fire, only to have the power remain on, delaying the response and putting the team at risk. The lineman explained that the three-phase commercial meter, often found in businesses, was wired differently, using current transformers to measure high amperage, meaning pulling the meter did nothing to cut power. “You’re just giving that business free power until we get there,” the lineman noted, showing the meter’s internal wiring on a diagram to illustrate the point.

The Dangers of Backfeeding: Generators and Downed Lines

The demonstration also covered the risks of backfeeding from improperly connected generators, a growing concern as more households in the region invest in backup power solutions. “If you hook your generators up improperly, you could actually be backfeeding our system,” a Duke Energy official explained, showing how a generator feeding 122-240 volts into a transformer could produce 5,400 volts on the primary line, energizing a downed power line and posing a lethal risk.

The official shared a sobering example of a storm aftermath in Lenoir County where a homeowner’s improperly connected generator backfed the system, energizing a downed line that a child nearly touched while playing outside. “If we’ve got a power line lying on the ground after a storm, that power line can be energized at primary voltage,” the official warned, driving home the importance of professional installation for whole-house generators. The demonstration included a small portable generator prop, a bright red unit with a pull-start cord, which the linemen used to simulate the backfeed, showing how the voltage on the primary line spiked dangerously, a red warning light on the trailer flashing to indicate the hazard. The official explained that whole-house generators, when installed correctly with a transfer switch, automatically disconnect from the grid during an outage, preventing backfeeding, but portable generators often lacked such safeguards, making them a common culprit in such incidents.

Everyday Hazards: Balloons, Kites, and Ladders

Common hazards like Mylar balloons, kite strings, tree limbs, and aluminum ladders were also addressed, each scenario illustrating the unpredictable nature of electrical dangers in everyday life. A mylar balloon bridged a gap on the trailer, causing the light to flicker as electricity tracked through it with a faint sizzling sound. “Just deflate them and put them in the trash can for us,” a Duke Energy official advised, noting that mylar balloons have caused outages by getting tangled in transmission lines and substations across eastern North Carolina.

The official shared a story of a graduation party in Craven County where a bundle of mylar balloons had drifted into a substation, causing a blackout for several hours. A kite string, a thin white cord, conducted electricity under the right conditions, its fibers glowing faintly as the current passed through, and a tree limb on a primary line created a dangerous arc with a loud crackle. “Electricity travels at about 186,000 miles per second… I’m not that quick,” the official quipped, emphasizing the need to leave such hazards to professionals.

The aluminum ladder demonstration was particularly striking, as the ladder—a lightweight, 10-foot model—made contact with a simulated power line, producing a bright flash and a loud pop that made several attendees jump. “Always look up if you’re carrying a ladder,” the official advised, recounting a recent incident in Lenoir where a painter had accidentally contacted a power line with his ladder, resulting in a severe shock that required hospitalization.

Debunking Myths: Footwear Safety in High-Voltage Scenarios

One of the most critical lessons of the day focused on debunking myths about footwear safety, particularly in high-voltage scenarios. A Duke Energy lineman held up a fireman’s boot, a heavy black rubber boot with visible wear, pointing out a small hole in the sole. “Anybody ever heard that the rubber on the bottom of your shoes will stop electricity? That’s kind of a rumor that goes around every once in a while, but that’s exactly what it is—a rumor,” the lineman stated firmly.

“The rubber on the bottom of your shoes is not thick enough to stop electricity from going to the ground. One of the main reasons is because who out here inspects the bottom of their shoes every day before they put them on? Nobody does.” The lineman explained that the condition of everyday footwear is often unknown—shoes could have holes, punctures, tears, or worn-down soles that electricity could exploit.

“That electricity will find the smallest little hole it can, and it will use that hole to go to ground,” they added, demonstrating with the compromised fireman’s boot. The boot, which had been used in real firefighting scenarios by a Craven County firefighter, had a small puncture from stepping on a nail during a fire. “Firefighters are walking through buildings, fires, and stuff like that—they’re walking all over things they don’t even see, like nails or sharp objects. If it gets a little puncture in the bottom of that boot, electricity can find that little bit,” the lineman explained, simulating the scenario on the trailer. When the boot made contact with a live wire, a small arc flashed, accompanied by a faint buzz, illustrating how quickly electricity could travel through even a tiny hole to reach the ground.

The lineman also noted that even high-quality boots, like those worn by the linemen, needed regular inspection, as the EH rating only applied if the boot was intact. “Our boots are tested to withstand up to 18,000 volts, but a single tear or worn spot can make that rating useless,” they added, showing the audience the difference between their own well-maintained boots and the damaged fireman’s boot. The lineman’s boots were meticulously cared for, with a logbook kept to track their condition, ensuring they were replaced every two years or sooner if any damage was detected.

Vehicle Safety: Navigating Downed Lines in Emergencies

The lineman then transitioned to vehicle safety, a topic of particular interest to the first responders in attendance. “So we often get called for vehicles off the side of the road by first responders,” the lineman began, setting up a scenario involving a toy dump truck with a power line draped across it. “If you ever get there and you see a power line down on the vehicle, just pass it along: don’t touch the vehicle.

If somebody’s in the vehicle, encourage them to stay in the vehicle unless they absolutely have to get out,” the lineman advised, their voice firm. They explained that the rubber tires on a vehicle, as long as they don’t blow out, provide insulation, preventing the electricity from grounding through the vehicle. “Those rubber tires will actually insulate that vehicle—they’re your best friend in a situation like this,” they noted, pointing to the thick, black rubber tires on the model dump truck, which were designed to mimic the real thing, complete with tread patterns and a slight sheen to indicate they were new.

However, the lineman cautioned that this insulation could fail if the tires were damaged or if the person inside the vehicle attempted to exit improperly. “If they step out and touch the ground while still in contact with the vehicle, they bridge that gap between the insulated vehicle and the ground, and that’s when the electricity will flow through them. It’s like giving electricity a perfect path right through you,” the lineman warned, using a hot dog to simulate someone stepping out of the car.

The lineman shared a recent incident in Wayne County where a driver, unaware of a downed power line on their car after a storm, attempted to exit and was severely injured, suffering burns across their legs and arms and requiring weeks of recovery in a burn unit. “Stay in the vehicle until we can de-energize the line. If you have to get out—say the car’s on fire—you jump clear, both feet together, and hop away. Don’t touch the car and the ground at the same time.”

They also highlighted the importance of checking the condition of the tires in such situations, noting that a blown-out tire, common in accidents, could compromise the vehicle’s insulation, allowing electricity to ground through the metal frame. “If you see a flat tire or a blown-out tire, assume the vehicle is not safe. A puncture, a blowout, even a wet tire can change everything,” the lineman added.

The lineman explained that modern tires, while thick, were not designed to withstand the high voltages of a power line, and even a small puncture could allow electricity to arc through, especially if the tire was wet from rain, a common occurrence in the region’s frequent storms. “After a storm, everything’s wet—roads, tires, you name it. That water can conduct electricity right through a damaged tire.”

A Unified Front: Strengthening Community Safety

The event wrapped up by 11:30 AM, leaving attendees with a deeper understanding of power line safety and a renewed respect for the complexities of electrical systems. In a brief closing statement, a Duke Energy official emphasized the importance of collaboration: “Today isn’t just about showing you what can go wrong—it’s about working together so we all go home safe. First responders, community leaders, linemen—we’re all on the same team.”