AKRON, Ohio, July 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As clean up continues from last week's severe storm, Mon Power reminds customers about the hazards associated with downed power lines.

Thousands of downed lines have been reported in the Mon Power service area following the recent storms, during which wind speeds reached 70 mph. Many of the wires became entangled in tree debris and were not easily visible. Mon Power crews – assisted by other FirstEnergy personnel and outside contractors and crews – are working with local police and fire departments to respond to downed wire reports as quickly as possible.

Customers are cautioned to never touch a line that is on the ground or hanging from a utility pole. Touching a live power line has the potential to cause a serious electrical shock resulting in injury or death, and downed lines may be energized or reenergized at any time, without warning.

Always keep children and pets away from downed wires, and never attempt to remove trees or limbs from power lines as they could conduct electricity. If a downed line is near water, keep far away. Customers are cautioned to never drive over downed wires, and stay away from downed lines that are in contact with vehicles.

Downed wires should be reported immediately by calling FirstEnergy's automated reporting line at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), or by calling the local police or fire department.

The storm caused a great deal of damage to FirstEnergy's infrastructure, and patience is appreciated as crews continue to work around the clock to repair the system and restore service to all customers.

FirstEnergy's restoration process is designed to restore power safely and efficiently for affected customers. Initially, crews focus on responding to hazardous situations and high-priority damage locations, including any transmission and substation facilities that supply power for local distribution systems. Priority also is given to hospitals, critical care and life support facilities, communications facilities, emergency response agencies and circuits serving the largest number of customers, followed by restoration of service to individual homes.

Affected power lines may be damaged in multiple locations, or at some distance from customers who are out of service. Line and tree crews or other workers make high-priority repairs first, which must be completed before damage in closer locations can be repaired.

Customers can view timely, accurate and easy-to-use outage information through FirstEnergy's "24/7 Power Center" maps, accessible on desktops, smart phones and mobile devices at [ www.firstenergycorp.com/outages ].

During significant service interruptions, outage information is also available via the company's Twitter accounts. A list of all accounts is available here: [ www.firstenergycorp.com/newsroom/social_media ].

FirstEnergy (NYSE: [ FE ]) is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems. Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed baseload coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of nearly 23,000 megawatts.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

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Mon Power Reminds Customers to Stay Away From Downed Wires

Mon Power Reminds Customers to Stay Away From Downed Wires