Stay away from downed or damaged poles and power lines.

Even if you believe a particular power line may not be energized, a line miles away may be getting repaired and come online and change the status of your line. Consider every line energized and dangerous; whether it’s in the air or on the ground. Keep a safe distance, and report outages and possible dangers by calling 701-254-4666 or 800-472-2673. Do not report on Facebook or Messenger; they are not monitored 24/7.

Never attempt to remove frost from power lines on your own

Making contact with a power line can be dangerous, if not deadly. We received several calls from good-hearted members who asked if they could “help” by knocking the frost off the lines on their own. For your safety, never, ever do it! Leave it to the professionals who have approved personal protective equipment and training. We follow safety processes and procedures, and want to make sure everyone goes home safe at night. That includes you, our members!

Use standby generators safely

If you are using a standby generator, please read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operation. Most important is the transfer switch that disconnects the farm or home from the power line and connects it to the generator. It must be a double-throw transfer switch that prevents the generator from feeding electricity back onto the power line. Also, never use a generator indoors or in an enclosed area, including an attached garage. Place the generator where fumes cannot filter into your home through windows or doors. Protect your family from carbon monoxide, which is odorless and invisible; it can build to lethal levels in minutes.

Contact Slope Electric Cooperative

Call us at 701-579-4191 or 800-559-4191, or email comments@slopeelectric.coop if it is not urgent. To learn timely updates, sign up for a SmartHub account by visiting www.kemelectric.com and click SmartHub in the upper right-hand corner. Also, find Slope Electric on Facebook and follow for cooperative and community news.