By Diane Hines
Contributing Writer
HOULTON — The Houlton Rotary Club met on Sept. 28, at noon for their luncheon meeting. Rosa McNally brought as her guest Stan Meader. Fred Grant announced a program to take place on Oct. 7 at Houlton High School at 7 p.m. which is a talk sponsored by the student council given by an Holocaust survivor, Charles Rottmill. He will also address the student body the next day during school hours.
Contributed photo/Diane Hines
NEW ROTARIAN — Dominic Nicoll, left, of the Houlton Salvation Army, was welcomed as the newest member of the Houlton Rotary Club. With Nicoll is his sponsor, Rotarian Darrell Malone.
A new member was inducted. Salvation Army Captain Dominic Nicoll was inducted by Scott White and Dominic received the hand of fellowship from President Jane Torres and sponsor Darrell Malone. Mike Clark presented to Dominic the Rotary coin. Steven Bither presented his guest Daniel Gould of Eastern Maine Electric Co-op. Gould was raised in Sherman and graduated from Katahdin High School. He married Allison Stairs and has raised his family in Hodgdon.
Gould is involved with music ministry. In 1999 he joined Eastern Maine Electric as a lineman and now serves as a line engineer. His talk centered on “Safety”, an important word when dealing with electric lines. His goal is to improve conditions to prevent hazards.
Citing a brief history, 100 years ago electricity was considered a luxury. Then the RDA brought electricity to farmers and now there are lines everywhere, and with that a concern for safety. Gould called electricity a “sleeping giant” as it has no smell, no sound and it cannot be seen.
Educating the Rotarians on electricity, Gould defined the three key elements as ohms (opposition to current flow), voltage (pressure) and current or amps (flow of electricity between two points). Current is the “killer,” to quote Gould. This is the part of electricity that demands respect and consideration especially for safety reasons.
He went into detail about the amount of amperage and the effects of each level on the human body. In his workplace, meetings occur once a month to update safety controls. Repetition enables the workers to follow the rules and use safe practices. In the home the number-one cause of accidents is extension cords. Three-prong plugs should be used and not tampered with and should be stored with care to prevent wear and tear.
Ground fault surface interrupters, or GFSIs, should be installed by electricians in the home to ensure that a breaker will snap off and prevent sparks or fire. A ground fault will detect five milliamps of flow and trip the switch. With more generators installed by homeowners, transfer switches should be installed to be sure that the flow of electricity will flow both ways without trouble.
When working outside around the home, Gould suggested that you take note of where the wires are and avoid trees that are near power lines. Trees on lines cause huge problems. Also, when using a ladder near a power line, fiberglass is a much better choice than aluminum, which would conduct electricity. Notice if the plastic covers around the outside connections have deteriorated and contact your electric company. He advised that all electric companies want to maintain safety and are very willing to assist when any major outside work is being done outside the home near electric boxes or lines.
With any underground wires, Digsafe must be called to clear work in the area. Forty-eight hours’ notice is needed and the number to call is 811. Gould talked about first responders to accidents and how anyone can be a first responder. Caution must be taken if electric poles or lines are involved. The lines are live and must be avoided, especially near vehicles, as the vehicle could conduct the current.
Storms can also bring down lines and the voltage can change the surface of the road and can turn rock to glass. When electricity hits the ground there is a ripple effect. If a person steps, the current can be conducted through the body so he recommended hopping on two feet in such a situation and compared the effect to a “bird on a wire.”
“Hop, never step, around an electromagnetic field on the ground and yell and scream and warn others no matter how foolish you look,” he said. “It is better to look foolish and be alive and save other lives as well even if the wire turns out to be harmless.”
Contributed photo/Diane Hines
ROTARY GUEST — Daniel Gould, left, of Eastern Maine Electric Co-op was the guest of Houlton Rotarian Steve Bither at the Sept. 28 meeting.
