Legislative Rallies Provide Personal Touch to an Impersonal Process

Conversation overheard in Municipal Utility A’s office recently: “So MEUW wants me to take an entire day off from work, find a commissioner and drag her all the way to Madison with the Mayor on March 18? For what? To hear the same stuff we hear every year? My State Representative knows me very well and I can call him any time I want, why do I need to go to Madison?”

State and Federal Legislative Rallies are crucial advocacy tools to make sure that our elected representatives know what public power cares about and what we think about proposed legislation. Here are five reasons to take time to visit with your elected officials this spring in Washington, DC, for the APPA Legislative Rally (Feb. 23-25) and later in Madison for the Municipal Utility Legislative Day (March 18):

Reason Number 5: Your governing board and your customers expect you to mix and mingle with state and federal policy makers once in a while.
Reason Number 4: While you may know the issues, your state or federal elected official may not, and might rely on you to be his expert in the utility industry.
Reason Number 3: Cheesy pictures with politicians make for good local news.
Reason Number 2: The player lineup has changed in Washington, DC, and Madison.
Reason Number 1: No one can tell your utility’s story better than you.

While MEUW Members are fortunate to have a knowledgeable and experienced state association staff, there really is only one person who can convey your utility’s issues the best -- you.

For more information on the APPA Legislative Rally, visit: www.appanet.org. For more information about the Municipal Utility Legislative Rally, visit www.meuw.org (under “Meetings and Events”).

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The Importance of Installing and Maintaining Carbon Monoxide Detectors
The Silent Killer-Carbon Monoxide
By Dan Becker, MEUW Northwest Regional Safety Coordinator

Virtually every home or residential dwelling has a smoke detector. Proper smoke detector placement and maintenance can save lives. But many are not protected from the silent killer – carbon monoxide (CO).

Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless gas that is formed by incomplete combustion. In other words, anything in your home that burns materials containing carbon emits carbon monoxide.

According to the Center for Disease Control, from 1999-2004, CO poisoning was listed as a contributing cause of death on 16,447 death certificates in the United States. During that period, an average of 439 persons died annually from unintentional, non-fire-related CO poisoning.

One of the most common questions asked about carbon monoxide is, “Where does CO come from?” The fact is the presence of CO in our homes usually comes from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels used in furnaces and several other household appliances. When these furnaces and appliances are working properly, CO levels are usually kept at a minimum. When these appliances malfunction, they may accumulate and emit higher levels than normal in your home thus causing health hazards.

Let’s take a moment to discuss what is considered normal levels vs. toxic levels of CO in our homes. By OSHA standards, CO is considered toxic at a level of 50ppm with continuous exposure over an eight hour period. Mild exposure to CO over several hours between 70ppm to 100ppm would result in flu-like symptoms including nausea, headaches, and runny nose. Mid-level exposure from 150ppm to 300ppm would result in drowsiness, dizziness, and vomiting. High level exposure to CO exceeding 400ppm would result in unconsciousness, brain damage, and death.

First aid for low level CO poisoning may include removing the victim to fresh air and administering oxygen, while high levels may include the use of a hyperbaric chamber. Any person exposed to CO levels that may be questionable, should seek medical attention immediately.

How to minimize the odds of toxic CO levels in your home:

     Have a qualified technician install and regularly inspect all fuel
        burning appliances, fireplaces and chimneys.
     Never use an outdoor gas or charcoal grill indoors.
     Never leave a vehicle or any other motor running in an attached
        garage.
     Install and maintain CO detectors.

Here are some important placement and maintenance tips for a CO detector:

     Every home with any fuel burning appliances, furnaces, or
        attached garage should have a CO detector.
     If you have only one CO detector in your home, it should be
        installed in a hallway outside the sleeping quarters.
     An alarm should be installed on every level of the home.
     The alarm should be at least 15 feet away from the furnace.
     Make sure nothing is obstructing or covering the unit.
     Do not place the unit in dead air spaces next to a window or
        door.
     Unplug the unit and vacuum with a soft brush attachment or wipe
        with a clean dry cloth to remove accumulated dust monthly.
     Test the unit monthly.

Carbon monoxide is often referred to as ‘The Silent Killer’ because it goes undetected by human senses. With a few simple precautions, you can ensure you and your families’ safety by installing and maintaining CO detectors to help alert you to the presence of CO.

The life you save may be your own!!!

References:
http://www.carbon-monoxide-poisoning.com/
http://www.knowaboutco.com

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2009 Joint Superintendents Conference Highlights

The 2009 Joint MEUW/REC Superintendents Conference was held at the Stevens Point Holiday Inn on January 7-9, 2009. Wednesday’s MEUW sessions included smart grid technology; energy efficiency; Reliatrak system reliability software; incident reporting; the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and an update on MEUW’s Safety & Job Training Program and Regional Safety Group Program. The MEUW Outstanding Lineman Award was presented in the afternoon, to Stoughton Utilities Electric System Supervisor Craig Wood.

Thursday’s joint sessions included stray voltage; grounding requirements; CDL; arc flash regulations; ergonomics and workers comp claims; neutral-to-earth voltage assessments; and the utility truck of the future. In addition, registered nurse and dynamic professional speaker John Shier returned with an updated presentation on health and healing.

Once again, members of the Wisconsin Utility Suppliers Association sponsored the Thursday trade show & reception, which was followed by the Graduation Banquet for the “Class of 2008” Journeyman Lineworkers as well as the first graduating class of the new Meter Tech Apprenticeship Program. This year’s special graduation speaker was Department of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman. We are very proud that so many MEUW Members continue to invest in the future of our industry.

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Next Section Starts March 2
Mid-State Technical College Electric Meter Technician Apprenticeship Program

Five years ago, MEUW and other electric providers in the State petitioned the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards (BAS) to create an Electric Meter Technician Apprenticeship program because MEUW Members and other electric providers were having trouble finding experienced Meter Technicians to hire and since there was no comprehensive meter technician training program available in the State.

With its roots going back 4,000 years, the apprenticeship philosophy is alive and well in Wisconsin, based on a strong partnership between industry and the State Technical College System. Apprenticeship is an earn-while-you-learn program of on-the-job training combined with related classroom instruction that is typically provided by the district technical college. The apprenticeship program is governed by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards (BAS), in cooperation with the local Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC).

Apprentices work on-the-job in their trade under the supervision of qualified journeymen. As an apprentice, students are trained under a written training agreement called an “Apprentice Contract”. While the apprentice is registered, the employer agrees to teach the student the skills of the trade and the apprentice agrees to learn the skills involved. Other conditions of the contract, such as length of training, amount of pay, the rate of periodic pay increases, and the related classroom hours are covered.

Upon receiving the industry request to create a new apprenticeship, the BAS readily agreed, and over the course of the next year or so, a diverse Committee of electric industry professionals developed a curriculum for a three-year Meter Technician Apprenticeship Program.

For the last three years, Mid-State Technical College (Wisconsin Rapids Campus) has offered the State’s three-year Electric Meter Technician Apprenticeship Program, which is described as follows: “Electric Metering Technicians repair, rebuild and wire all styles of electricity meters and metering equipment, including transformer rated meters, pulse relays and recorders. They perform routine field checks of complex industrial meters to insure proper operation. They maintain electricity meter and departmental instrument histories and maintain accurate inventory records. They operate computers as required for shop work and field testing and interrogation of metering installations.”

And on January 8, 2009, the first nine Graduates of the Meter Technician Apprenticeship Program – the Class of 2008 – were recognized at the Apprenticeship Graduation banquet in Stevens Point.

The next Electric Meter Technician Apprenticeship Program Section starts on March 2. Admission into this Apprenticeship Program can only be found through an employer. If you are interested in becoming an Electric Metering Technician, talk to your employer to find out their procedure for choosing apprenticeship candidates.

For more information and application materials, contact: Mid-State Technical College, Apprenticeship Office, 500 32nd St. North, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494; 715-422-5572 or 715-389-7045; jim.schnaedter@mstc.edu.

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March 11, 2009 in Marshfield
MEUW Collections Seminar

MEUW will be offering a fourth Collections Seminar on Wednesday, March 11 at the Marshfield Holiday Inn. This is the site of MEUW’s popular Management Certification Program Sessions, one of which will be held in the same location on the following day.

The MEUW Collections Seminar will have presentations on Meter Technology as a Collections Tool; the Tax Refund Intercept Program (TIPS); Office Safety and Security; Cash Handling Procedures; and PSC regulatory issues, followed by a Q&A session with PSC staff.

Individuals wishing to reserve an overnight room should call the Marshfield Holiday Inn at 715/486-1500. Ask for the “MEUW” block to get the special rate of $70 single/$80 double.

Registration materials were sent to your utility in late January. For another copy, contact MEUW Receptionist Shari Baumann at 608/837-2263 or sbaumann@meuw.org, or visit www.meuw.org/events.htm.  The registration deadline is March 4, 2009.

See you in Marshfield!

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March 12, 2009 in Marshfield
MEUW Management Certification Program “Session B”

MEUW will be offering Management Certification Program Session B (Effective Skills for Leadership and Teambuilding) on Thursday, March 12 at the Marshfield Holiday Inn. This is the day after the MEUW Collections Seminar at the same site.

The instructor will be Jeff Russell (Russell Consulting, Inc.), an adjunct faculty member at UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay with extensive experience providing leadership training to groups including the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and various Wisconsin cities, counties and state agencies.

Session B topics include: moving from being the boss to being the leader; how to tactfully work through disagreements; motivating employees and delegating tasks; dealing with negative employee feedback; strategies to manage performance issues such as absenteeism, tardiness, rule breaking; how to be cordial with staff while maintaining respect; and keeping up to date on industry changes and technology.

Registration materials will be sent in early February. They will also be available at www.meuw.org/events.htm.  The registration deadline is February 27, 2009.

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