News Release

Oct. 2, 2002

Call PNM Immediately if a Balloon Touches Power Line

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NEWS MEDIA CONTACT Susan Sponar Telephone: (505) 241-2768

Albuquerque: PNM officials are urging hot-air balloon crews and balloon watchers to call the company immediately if they see a balloon touch a power line during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The number to call to report a balloon-power line incident is 246-5700.

Crews and onlookers should not attempt to remove a balloon from a power line, as the line might be energized even after a balloon becomes entangled. Making contact with a balloon in this instance could result in electrocution for the person trying to help as well as those in the balloon’s gondola.

“The best way to help, if a balloon does hit a power line, is to call us as soon as it happens,” said PNM Vice President John Myers. “Our emergency response crews and outage response center are on a heightened state of alert during this event, and only they can determine what needs to be done to reduce the risk of electrocution.”

Myers said PNM takes several precautions during the Balloon Fiesta to reduce the risks associated with balloons taking off and landing near power lines. These include:

• Positioning emergency response crews just outside Balloon Fiesta grounds to enable a quick response in the event of an incident;
• Placing two trained coordinators on the field every morning to answer pilots’ questions and to give real-time information to the PNM outage response center on which direction balloons are traveling; and
• Placing a special brochure on power line safety in every pilot’s briefing packet.

  Pilot's brochure: safety tips for flying in vicinity of power lines