POWERGRAMS

9 W hat's over 30, shockingly informative and still appeals to kids? It's Alabama Power's Safe-T-Opolis program. And with more than 250 active employee presenters, it continues to reach thousands of schoolchildren each year. Born in 1987, Safe-T-Opolis was the brainchild of Risk Services employees, including Rick McGowan, Risk Management supervisor in Mobile. Following a series of accidents, McGowan was concerned and determined to prevent more electrical contact incidents and so he, along with others, began developing the youth safety program during the 1980s. "There has definitely been a reduction in accidents over the years," McGowan said. "And that is the most gratifying part of it all: knowing that students have learned more about the potential danger of electricity." As the Safe-T-Opolis program evolved, the Alabama State Board of Education endorsed it as part of the fourth-grade curriculum. "Students learn about electricity at the fourth-grade level," said Kim Savage, Safe-T-Opolis program manager. "What better time to teach about electrical safety than when they are learning the properties of electricity?" The traveling program, which usually lasts about an hour, uses 11,000 volts of electricity to recreate potentially hazardous situations on a 3-D model of a miniature neighborhood or city. Viewers are given a demonstration of "what not to do" and suggestions on how to avoid dangerous conditions. "We know it works," Savage said. "Over the years, so many people have reached out to us to share how Safe-T-Opolis made them change their behavior and helped prevent an accident or save a life. That's when you know you are reaching people and making a difference in their lives." And it's not just the program that's been around for a while. Billy Norris, Real Estate specialist in Phenix City, was in the original class of Safe-T-Opolis presenters. "You know you've come full circle when young employees become Safe-T-Opolis presenters because they remember you coming to their classroom and what an impact the presentation had on them," Norris said. "It's a great program to be a part of," Norris continued. "We take Safe-T-Opolis to Fort Benning each year for an expo for area schoolchildren. We are there alongside firetrucks, Apache helicopters, tanks, but guess who has the biggest crowd? Those other guys can't compete. The children are interested in seeing the demonstration, and in the process they learn how to be safe around electricity. It's very gratifying." The Risk Services department financially supports and administers Safe-T-Opolis, but depends on trained Alabama Power employees and retirees to volunteer for the presentations. These "Lifeliners" come from all departments in the company. Several years ago, former CEO Charles McCrary challenged the Lifeliners to reach 100 percent of fourth-grade students in the company's service territory. It is a goal that current CEO Mark Crosswhite endorses. "Countless people across our state have benefited over the years from Safe-T-Opolis," Crosswhite said. "When we increase awareness about safety, especially among children, we are truly fulfilling our mission to elevate Alabama." The Eastern Division took up that gauntlet and has reached 100 percent of the fourth-grade students in three of the past four years. Eastern Division Lifeliners number more than 50 and together they have taken the safety message to almost 30,000 students. "I'm very proud of these employees," said former Eastern Division Vice President Julia Segars, who retired in July. "The impact of this effort on customer safety is immeasurable." "Safe-T-Opolis is a program we can all be proud of," Norris said. "It's hard to believe it's 30 years old, but when I stop and realize I've been able to present it to both my daughters' fourth-grade classes and now my granddaughters,' I know we must be doing something right." "All employees can help us reach more students," Savage said. "We need help not just with volunteer presenters but also help in getting the word out. Help us spread the word. Experience tells us if teachers hear about the program from a friend who works for Alabama Power, they are more likely to host us in their classroom. We want all divisions to reach the 100 percent goal." To learn more about Safe-T-Opolis, visit alabamapower.com. McGowan was an original Lifeliner in 1987. Lifeliners keeping kids safer for more than three decades by Linda Brannon

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