StaySafe in Car Accidents Involving Power Poles
come from Florida’s Natural, a producer-owned cooperative based in - you guessed it - Florida, but distributing throughout the U.S. If your morning coffee came from Equal Exchange (www.equalexchange. coop), you get bonus points because they source their coffee from farmer-owned co-ops in developing countries, and they are a worker- owned co-op. If you like milk in your coffee or cereal, check this out: more than 86 percent of all fl uid milk fl ows through a co-op! The wheat in your muffi n or toast was most likely processed through a farmer-owned grain elevator in the Midwest. If you had cranberries in that muffi n, they likely came from Ocean Spray, or maybe you used Land O’Lakes Butter or Welch’s Concord Grape Jam - all producer- owned co-ops that make the products we love on our toast. After that big co-op breakfast, it is time to start the day. Working parents might drop off their young children at one of the over 1,000 pre-school co-ops that operate throughout the U.S. Perhaps this is the day to make some improvements to your home.
are cooperatives were a big part of it from dawn until bedtime. Take a moment to read this quick overview of how co-ops might be impacting you every day. Your morning orange juice might have
So how did you spend your day? Chances
In traumatic situations, it may be instinctive to fl ee as soon as possible. A car accident is a good example of this. However, if you are in a car accident with a power line, the safest place is often inside the car.
Two Indiana teenagers, Ashley Taylor and Lee Whitaker, experienced such a traumatic situation themselves in 2009 when they were in an auto accident involving power lines. Fortunately, earlier that week they had attended a program at their school that warned of the dangers of car accidents with power poles. Lee and Ashley made sure nobody left the car and warned those who came upon the accident to stay far away.
Power poles carry high, potentially fatal levels of electricity. If you are in an accident with one, your whole vehicle may be charged with electricity. If you step out, you will become the electricity’s path to the ground and could be killed by an electric shock.
is on fi re. If you must exit the vehicle, jump clear of it with your feet together, and continue to “bunny hop” with your feet together so that you will not have different strengths of electric current running from one foot to another. 101
Ace Hardware, True Value and Do It Best are all examples of purchasing co-ops. These are small businesses that come together to form a co-op so that they can compete with big box retailers that are not owned by people in the local community. You might need to stop by the credit union for a loan or pick up some cash for that home project from one of their 25,000 ATMs in their network. More than 100 million people in the U.S. are members of a credit union, and yep, you guessed it, credit unions are co-ops. On your way home, you may stop at one of the 300 community- owned cooperative grocery stores in the country. Many of the meat products and vegetables are also sourced from co-ops. If you are in a hurry, maybe you swing by KFC, Taco Bell or Pizza Hut to pick up dinner. The franchise owners of these fast food restaurants are all members of a purchasing co-op, just like the hardware stores above. So are the owners of Dunkin Donuts and many other franchises. After dinner, perhaps you are watching TV from one of the more than 1,000 small cable companies that serve rural America that have come together to form a co-op that helps keep costs as low as possible. Or maybe you are surfi ng the Internet through services provided by your local telecommunications co-op. Travel plans? If you are on a business trip or vacation and staying in
a Best Western – that is also a purchasing co-op! And when it’s time for “lights out,” you can fl ip that switch knowing you’re receiving safe, reliable electricity from your local electric cooperative, your friends at Harmon Electric Association. From morning until night, you can have a very cooperative day.
HARMON ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC 114 North First Hollis, OK 73550
Operating in
Beckham, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa and Greer Counties in Oklahoma and Hardeman and Childress Counties in Texas
Member of Western Farmers Electric Cooperative Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives National Rural Electric Cooperative Association National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. Oklahoma Rural Water Association, Inc.
Car accidents with downed lines are not just dangerous for those involved. Well-meaning bystanders may try to approach the car to help. Warn them to stay away from the accident until utility professionals and emergency responders have confi rmed that there are no electrical dangers.
Safe Electricity encourages you to share what you know about electrical safety with friends, family, and new drivers, so - like Lee and Ashley - they will know what to do in a car accident with a power pole. For more information and to watch a video of Lee and Ashley’s story, visit
SafeElectricity.org.
The only circumstance when you should exit the vehicle is if it
Know the dangers of leaving an auto accident involving power lines and inform your family, friends and new drivers of the correct action to take. Visit
SafeElectricity.org for more information.
HARMON ELECTRIC HI-LITES - Lisa Richard, Editor The Harmon Electric Hi-Lites is the publication of your local owned and operated rural electric cooperative, organized and incorporated under the laws of Oklahoma to serve you with low-cost electric power.
Charles Paxton ......................................................................................... Manager
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Pete Lassiter ..................................................................................................District 1 Jim Reeves ....................................................................................................District 2 Lee Sparkman ...............................................................................................District 3 Bob Allen .......................................................................................................District 4 Burk Bullington ..............................................................................................District 5 Jean Pence ....................................................................................................District 6 J. R. Conley ...................................................................................................District 7 Charles Horton .............................................................................................. Attorney
Monthly Board of Directors meetings Held Fourth Thursday of Each Month
IF YOUR ELECTRICITY GOES OFF, REPORT THE OUTAGE
We have a 24-hour answering service to take outage reports and dispatch service- men. Any time you have an outage to report in the Hollis or Gould exchange area, call our offi ce at 688-3342. Any other exchange
area call toll free, 1-800-643-7769.
TO REPORT AN OUTAGE, CALL 688-3342 or 1-800-643-7769 ANYTIME
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