By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

WILSONVILLE— Fourth grade students at Wilsonville Elementary School were in for a treat Jan. 27, when Alabama Power representative Chris Dorrough brought her Safe-T-Opolis display.

According to assistant principal Dr. Stephen Kearley, Dorrough visits WES every year with her a model, showing overhead wires at a home and yard. The model also features a mock power line that Dorrough can turn on and off to illustrate electricity.

The Safe-T-Opolis program explains how to stay safe when wires are downed, when you climb near power lines, when kites or fishing line come into contact with power lines and other situations.

“If you look all around there are power lines everywhere,” Kearly said. “Kids are curious sometimes, especially if they see one down. This is a preventative measure just in case something were to happen.”

Using the figure of a little boy flying a kite, Dorrough shows the students what can happen if the kite hits the power line.

Similarly, she also shows what happens if a tree falls onto the power line, warning the students not to touch the tree. Kearly said the students are taught to get an adult and not to touch the tree.

“They love seeing Dorrough come present,” he said. “Even if they’re not hearing what she has to say, once they see what happens when the figure touches the power line, it brings the message home that ‘Wow that could happen to me.’”

The program also features a DVD about electrical safety that all the children watch. The presentation generally lasts about 30 to 45 minutes.

Safe-T-Opolis meets the Alabama Course of Study, Stanford 10 Achievement Test and National Science Education Standards for fourth grade, according to the Alabama Power website.