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News Release
Sept. 30, 2005
Don't Touch a Hot-Air Balloon Wrapped in Power Lines
Albuquerque: PNM officials have some important safety advice for crews
and onlookers during the nine days of the Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta: Don't touch a balloon that is touching power lines.
Touching a balloon wrapped in power lines could cause a chain reaction that
injures both the person attempting to help as well as anybody within the balloon's
gondola. Electricity seeks the nearest path to ground. This means an energized
line that poses no danger to a balloon hanging on one wire could become deadly
for everyone involved if a single onlooker touches the ground and the balloon
at the same time.
"In order to preserve the spirit of the Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta®, which is adventure and celebration, we encourage balloon crews
and enthusiasts to know exactly how to handle an incident with power lines," said
PNM Senior Vice President Doug Hobbs, who oversees operation of the company's
electric grid in Albuquerque. "We always hope it won't happen, but we
need to be prepared if it does."
PNM asks that crews and onlookers who see a balloon in power lines to stand
back and call both 911 and PNM at (505) 246-5700 immediately.
During each morning's mass ascension, PNM has crews stationed near the fiesta
grounds prepared to respond to any accidents that may happen. In addition,
the company's state-of-the-art outage response center tracks balloon movement
within the Albuquerque metropolitan area to ensure PNM's crews and system are
ready to respond quickly in the event of an emergency.
PNM has electric system experts on the field each morning to answer balloonists'
questions, and PNM works with fiesta organizers to place a power-line safety
card in every pilot's briefing packet.
"Certified balloon pilots should know how to handle power lines, but
the safety card and on-site support from PNM reinforce the safety message and
help increase the likelihood of an accident-free fiesta," said Event Director
Pat Brake. "That is our most important priority during the next nine days."
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