VALDOSTA, Ga. — Boom!

It sounded like a gunshot when the fuse was tripped in a safety demonstration for first responders Friday, and that was on purpose. 

A little flair was added to the demonstration when showing what could happen if a tree branch fell on a power line.

Lloyd Green, Lowndes County fire marshal, said they put a metal conductor between two power lines to blow out the fuse on a demo-transformer.

“Just for show, (we) added a little trick to it to make it pop to see who was paying attention,” Green said.

They added gunpowder to the fuse.

With the start of the hurricane season, Colquitt EMC held an electrical class on downed power lines at the Lowndes County Fire Rescue station on U.S. 84. 

Green said multiple agencies, including Lowndes County Fire Rescue and Valdosta Fire Department, teamed up with the EMC to train first responders in dealing with downed power lines.

Charlie Wired — his real name —  works with Colquitt EMC and demonstrated all the dangers of working with live wires. 

Wired roasted a hot dog to simulate what happens to skin when it gets caught between two currents of electricity. It catches fire from the inside.

He also showed how to safely use equipment for working on power lines.

Green strongly encouraged residents to avoid any downed power lines after a storm. A downed power line still has power flowing through it and will react to anything near it.

“When you come between the line and the ground, that’s when you become the conductor and the electricity runs through you,” Green said. “Avoid downed lines at all costs.”

He said this is the first partnership between the agencies and Colquitt EMC, and he said he hopes they can continue the training every year.

Green said the training is necessary and crucial for the safety of first responders. The level of vaults these first responders will have to contend with are life-threatening levels, he said.

“Our first responders’ safety is paramount,” Green said. “We have to mitigate the hazard and keep in mind that any line down is a charged line until the power company says it’s not and it’s safe for us.”

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256