Bryan Martin from Redmond (WA) Truck 16 sent in these pictures of an interesting service drop into a structure. These power lines run from the pole mounted transformer across the roof into a weather head mounted in the middle of the structure. The lines are only about 3-4 feet off of the roof. In the first picture, the lines are extremely difficult to see. The second picture was taken with a flash from the same spot as the first, simply looking toward the right. In looking at the pictures, it appears that the roof that they were taken from may have been an addition to the original taller structure located toward the top of the picture. The contractor simply left the existing service drop in place creating the hazard. We posted a somewhat similar set-up over a year ago in a post titled No Overhead Obstructions. Either way, it’s something to look out for, and another reason to carry a good working flashlight with you at all times. Just something else the roof team needs to keep in mind.
37 thoughts on “Service Drop”
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A good reason to step back and look before you go rushing in and I always make sure I have at least 2 lights
Even a simple single story structure like this that is easily reached by ground ladders, putting the stick up simply for the use of the floodlights isn’t a bad idea.
I would have the utility company there that night. Someone could get killed cause they went the easy way out.
You’ll never see it in the smoke, bzzzzt!
This website has provide a wealth of knowledge about what kind of hazards different departments are encountering. It never ceases to amaze me what firefighters find. The bottom line is this, you just never know what you might come across. Expect and be prepared for the worse.
I have taken so many things from this site and applied them personally and reviewed it with my crew. This is just another fine example. I agree with rjd2051, you’d miss that in smokey conditions. Doubtful that any light at all would catch it.Thanks for the great site and keep up the good work! Stay safe all.
If you can’t see your feet you should be crawling, that goes for the roof also. This is another reason why we should be out in our still sizing up buildings “before” theres a problem!!!!!!!!
You’ve apparently never been to northwest PA. Most of the firemen up here can’t see their feet anyway.
PS, You’d probably pick this up with a quick look through the TIC. As Ive said before, we’ll stare at a f@#king burnt piece of drywall all day with that damn thing, but never pull it off for a size up. I can see in NFPA 1500 2013 edition, “Every firefighter on the fire ground shall carry a TIC” (Of course the TIC company presidents will be on that committee)
Here’s the real test.
Now that they know it’s there, what’s been done to correct the situation?
The power company can add insulators until a permanent solutution is found.
Kevin, even on your knees your SCBA could catch on the line. I like mine crispy
Agreed. A quick look with the TIC before you even step onto the roof is ONE HELL OF A GREAT IDEA. This goes for the surrounding area and not just the roof itself. Don’t neglect to sound the roof though even with a TIC.
Great point, LTD.
You could always “limbo” under the wires!
We have a similar problem at a glass manufacturing facilty in our area. The differnce is instead of power wires there is a band saw blade the runs for cutting large pieces of glass.
yeah good luck getting a camera for the roof man.
I would like to retract all of my previous statements. I am in complete agreement with WHFD10!!!
DAMN72 – What if we just pull the meter??
Pulling the meter..LOL that is a classic, I love it!!! Big balls and bigs saws!!!! Stay safe!! PTB-EGH
Lad288,
I didnt even think of that!!!
why not just donky kick the weather head off the roof and solve the problem
Thanks for the site full of great info. Stay
It’s hard to tell, but I don’t think they are power lines. They don’t appear to be triplex and even though they come from the same pole that holds transformers, they look like Phone/CATV. Especially considering the service drop by the bay door in the background. The service was most likely moved, however, since the LV doesn’t fall under the same NEC inspections, it wasn’t required to be moved. Still a hazard, but maybe not the deadly situation it appears. If I’m wrong, I take it all back, but let’s not forget this is 1/2 the fault of the codes inspector whom inspected and approved this mess!
What good will it do to pull the meter? The meter is further down the line and will only serve to secure power to the building. These lines will still be energized because they are on the supply side of the meter. You would have to cut the power at the pole.
And in curiousity, how many dept’s still pull meters?
We have discontinued that practice long ago due to safety concerns.
Shaggy1386 is correct, they Cable and Phone Drops (CATV is a dead term). They problem with them is you will not see them untill the the last moment, but….their is always a but….here is a trick, if you do have Cable or Phone drops in your way (either down on a road or on a roof like this) cut them. The magic size is under 5/8in or smaller and you will be fine (it means it is only a service drop and has no voltage. If the drop is what is called a mid-span you DO NOT want to be in the way cause it will wip. PS I am also a Cable Tech.
Here is a closeup of the lines.
Click here for a full size version of the photo. -Jimm-
jmw,
Please, for the love of God, don’t start this again!!!!!! This is an on-running joke from a previous post. If you look back on the site there was a lengthy discussion on that topic. It became pretty heated. Get it? Heated.
So you run up a ladder on the backside of this structure with smoke pouring from the front. Your job is to open the roof over the fire.
IF you see wires, do you take the time to determine the wire is CATV?
Pull the damn meter and stick it in a latex glove
I’m tellin ya, an ATOMIC ELBOW works better than a pull!!!
I stand corrected. Definitely tri-plex. Thanks for the clarification Jimm!
All- Our fire prevention bureau and city building inspectors have confirmed that these lines are indeed electrical (not CATV/phone), and an illegal installation.
rjd2051- we took your question to heart and have taken steps to get this hazard removed. Believe it or not, our cities initial response was, “Despite being illegal, the city will not intervene to correct it.” Now we are in the process of correcting that issue (the cities response), too.
DMAN72- As far as using the TIC during the size up to find overhead lines, one of our engine companies tried to find electrical lines using the TIC and they were invisible. Transformers showed up plain as day however. Good thought though.
Stay safe,
L16 C-shift
This looks like Telecom and 2 Triplex Drops (uncommon for my area at least, but who knows) Pulling the meter WOULD NOT deenergize those wires. This is a SERVICE drop from a pole more than likely. The only feasible solution to this is to contact Utility and have them pull the transformer fuse. Until then, STAY AWAY and consider ALL Power lines HOT until proven otherwise. Also, telecom carries medium voltage that COULD injure FF’s. Stay vigilant and plan for worse case scenario.
Add: Pulling meters are usually a bad idea…….never have found good reasoning behind it.
James,
Just curious, what made them invisible? If they were live they should be fairly easy to see.
The guys felt that the insulation sheath covering the lines and the ambient air temperature (hot night) probably shielded whatever heat was being pushed through the cable, much like a wall can conceal heat behind sheet rock or plaster. We also assumed that with little or no load going through the lines during the evening and with the absence of significant resistance, there might not be much heat build up in the lines anyway. This was just our observation though.
Thanks Brother! I never thought it was a problem. Never really noticed not seeing them with a TIC. Just like every other fire service rule, always exceptions!
I tried using the TIC to find powerlines and you can see them. The commercial feed passing the station could be seen about 25′ away.
Granted it was about 70 that night and I knew where to look, but they could be seen.
Yeah, you can see them a lot of the time, but apparently in like the case James is saying, there can be variables.
I agree with Bryan Martin, “putting the stick up simply for the use of the floodlights isn’t a bad idea.” Whether your department uses a tower or stick, the excellent lighting provided by these trucks is a roofman’s best friend.