BELLE — Sarah Mouser’s Belle High School (BHS) science classes on Oct. 13 were treated to a session on electric safety by Kevin Mueller, an educational correspondent for Central Electric Co-op located in Jefferson City.

The presentation was informative and timely, taking place during a rainstorm that added an extra layer of significance to the topic.

Mueller, an expert in the field of electrical safety, shared valuable insights, providing a glimpse into the inner workings of electrical currents and emphasizing the importance of respecting the power grid. He also discussed steps to take during emergency situations, including what to do if faced with a downed power line that falls dangerously close to their vehicle.

“When you can, stay inside the vehicle and wait for help,” Mueller emphasized. “I guarantee help is already on the way because everyone on the other side of the line will be calling about their power outages. If you can’t stay inside the vehicle, jump clear and shuffle your feet until you are at least 10 feet away from the downed wire. The point is to keep the point of contact to as few contacts as possible. Don’t lift your feet, shuffle (until you are in the safety zone),” Mueller said.

Mueller spoke with all the morning science classes.

“This is a program put on by the Electric Co-op where teachers learn about different types of energy, how it’s made and used, and how we can pass the information on to our students,” Mouser said. “I felt that teaching students about electrical safety at the high school level was extremely important as many of our students drive cars and have jobs now that allow them to encounter electricity more often. This will hopefully prevent deaths or major injuries due to electrical accidents.”

Mouser’s science classes, Tim Evans’ physical science classes, and Bryce Gehlert’s building trades class attended the lecture throughout the morning.

“It was timely,” Mouser said.

Mueller added, “We were even able to schedule this talk during a rain storm.”

While the presentations were being conducted, portions of the Rosebud and Gerald communities were experiencing power issues.