Editor, The Herald:

Electricity; it keeps us warm and cool, keeps and cooks our food, and lets us see in the darkness. It is a wonderful thing. Yet this wonderful thing can be a firefighter's deadly nightmare. For this reason, Dominion Virginia Power is teaming up with Virginia's emergency services organizations to train the members of these organizations on how to be safe around electrical hazards.

On October 20, 2011 Dominion Virginia Power's electrical hazards training trailer pulled into the parking lot of the Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) and lit up the night. Firefighters from Cumberland and the surrounding communities were on hand to learn about the hazards of electrical energy flowing through the wires in our homes and along the highways and by-ways of Virginia. Hotdogs were fried, tree branches burned, and arcs of electrical energy flashed in the darkness.

In the end much was learned by many. The two biggest things learned were to treat any power line as though it were energized and to stay at least 35 feet away from it. These things learned apply not only to firefighters but also to the citizens of our communities. Respect the energy that provides us with a comfortable life. It can be deadly!

Thank you Dominion Virginia Power.

CVFD Chief

Kevin Ingle