A downed electric power line doesn’t need to spark to be deadly.

That was the message PPL Electric officials spoke about to nearly three dozen first responders Monday night at a special live wire presentation outside the Nesquehoning Hose Company.

“We’re going to do our live line electrical exhibit that we take all around to all the first responders to educate them on the dangers of electricity and what they should be aware of, what they should and shouldn’t do,” Louis Zoeller, public safety official at PPL Electric, said. “It’s an important outreach for us because over the years, we’ve had a lot of contact, especially with our first responders.”

He noted that while both PPL and first responders may have similar rubber turnout gear for situations, these items may still not protect first responders if a wire is live.

“We just want to educate them that whatever they have for the job that they do, and what we wear for allowing us to work near high voltage electricity (is different),” Zoeller added.

“First responders get out to accident scenes, weather scenes and fires come in contact with downed power lines,” said John McArdle, Nesquehoning Hose Company fire chief, adding that this presentation helps first responders recognize dangers respond safely.

He stressed that anyone encountering a downed line should always assume that the line is energized until PPL deems it safe.

“Even if it seems like they’re no power (in the line), the way the power grid is set up right now, power comes in and is rerouted from their control center,” McArdle said. “You can never tell when the line is energized or not so we treat all lines that are down as energized until PPL comes and deems the situation safe.”

Zoeller, assisted by PPL supervisors Larry Cheslock and Ken Andreas, led demonstrations involving live wires carrying between 7,000 and over 12,000 volts.

Using items such as Mylar balloons, ladders, leather gloves, a hot dog representing a human finger, a wet fire hose, a firefighter boot and a metal shovel, officials showed how easily electricity can arc from a power line with minimal contact.

The demonstrations were conducted using a specialized trailer with a miniature power line setup used for public education.

Zoeller also discussed everyday electrical risks, asking attendees who had changed an outlet at home and experienced a minor shock.

He explained that even a small shock can be dangerous.

“It only takes about 50 to 100 milliamps, if the conditions are right, to enter your body and stop your heart,” he said, noting that a night light or Christmas light bulb runs off about 60 milliamps. “There’s enough in a kid’s night light bulb or your Christmas light bulb, if the conditions are right, to possibly stop your heart and take your life. That’s the reason why we talk about this.”

Zoeller reinforced the point by telling a story about a person changing an outlet without first turning off the breaker.

“His wife tells us, ‘he’s done it a 100 times.’ Well 101, all she heard him say was ‘Ouch, I got shocked.’ He stood up and walked three steps and fell over dead.”

He also described incidents involving fire apparatus. In two cases, a firetruck ladder contacted a live wire, damaging a $1.6 million vehicle.

Another demonstration showed electricity arcing through a wet fire hose.

“Water is a pretty good conductor,” he said, noting that in one case, a wire landed on a fire hose and shocked four firefighters.

“One firefighter that was operating the nozzle was burned so bad they had to fly him. ... I’m not telling you how to do your job, but I tell you that all we’re asking is the next time you roll up to a scene, when you get there, think about what is above. ... We have a saying that says ‘Look up and live.’ What are the odds of an overhead electrical line can break free and land on that hose? It happened three times last year.”

Zoeller also cautioned that rubber boots are not foolproof protection, as even a small puncture can allow electricity to pass through.

“We always ask our volunteer firefighters how often it is that you get new turnout gear,” Zoeller said. “I feel terrible because I just told you that every three months, we’re turning in our turnout gear to get it tested and get new gear to protect us when working with electricity and you guys it’s 10 to 20 years you’ve been wearing that turnout gear. How many accident scenes you’ve been to, fires, walking through burning buildings, broken glass.

“At any point in time, you think that maybe you got a pinhole in your boot? Maybe that boot got compromised?

He spoke about a fire chief who thought his boots were enough to protect him from kicking a line out of the way to reopen a road.

“He decided ‘I’m wearing rubber boots like what they wear, I’m just going to go over and kick that line. Guess what, that line wasn’t sparking, arcing or doing anything, but as the chief walked over and gave that line a good kick, the moment he hit that line, that line kicked back and he got launched 15 feet away from that line.”