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Ameren Missouri to Educate Children about the Dangers of Electricity
Electric Safety Day is April 11 at Annunciation Catholic School

With children, natural curiosity can lead to accidents – sometimes involving electricity. To prevent electrical accidents and educate kids about the dangers of electricity, Ameren Missouri is sponsoring Electric Safety Day at Annunciation Catholic School, located at 16 W. Glendale Road.

It will be held Wednesday, April 11 on the playground behind the school’s gymnasium. There will be two sessions – 10 to 10:45 a.m. for students in kindergarten through fourth grade and 10:50 to 11:35 a.m. for fifth through eighth-grade students. The presenters will be Dave Wakeman, vice president of energy delivery-distribution services, and Willie Mannings, supervisor of distribution operating at Ameren Missouri.

Wakeman and Mannings will discuss the importance of:

  • Avoiding contact with overhead power lines.
     
  • Leaving tree limbs or other objects from a power line alone because electricity can travel through objects (especially when objects are wet).
     
  • Staying at least 50 feet away from downed power lines because it’s difficult to distinguish between electric, telephone and cable lines.
     
  • Warning other children and notifying adults if they see a downed power line.
  • Avoiding riding their bicycle over a downed power line.
     
  • Remaining inside the car if a downed line is on the car (but if they absolutely have to exit the car to jump clear of the area and avoid touching the car and ground at the same time).
     
  •  Refraining from climbing utility poles or transmission towers.


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Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than a century, and our electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. We serve 1.2 million electric and 126,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. Our mission is to meet their energy needs in a safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. Our service area covers 63 counties and more than 500 towns, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit AmerenMissouri.com.

CONTACT: Missouri Communications, 314.554.2182, missouricommunications@ameren.com