image description — National Grid demonstrates the dangers of live wires for local fire departments on Monday evening.

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National Grid Demonstrates Dangers of Live Wires

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:35AM / Wednesday, August 27, 2025Print Story | Email Story

Matt Lane, a supervisor with National Grid, explains the wiring systems firefighters might see when responding to an emergency.

LENOX. Mass. — National Grid employees demonstrated the dangers of live wires on a hot dog during a safety awareness event on Monday.

When the processed meat (representing human flesh) came into contact with approximately 8,000 volts, it ignited and charred. The main message was to assume downed power lines are live, leave them alone, and report them to the utility company or 911 immediately.

"I think the biggest thing is just to teach awareness, get everybody to gain a little respect for the electricity, and to understand enough to know that they don't know whether something is live until we tell them, or something is dead, until it's verified by us," Matt Lane, senior supervisor of operations, explained.

First responders from Lenox, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge saw several test items ignite on the Live Line demonstration trailer: a fake squirrel, ladder, fire boot, and hot dog. These power lines mimic the ones on our streets.

The event was held at the Lenox Department of Public Works. Fire Chief Robert Casucci said his volunteer Fire Department is comprised of people of various ages and from all walks of life, and this information benefits new and longtime firefighters.

"Some people are familiar with the equipment, some people aren't," he said.

"We get everybody out here for this training with this prop and can see the effects of power in different ways, whether it's malfunctioning or just a power line that is down."

The department has about 35 volunteers, many of whom were in attendance.

Lane explained that the power going through the lines on the trailer are the same for most of the lines on the streets, adding, "For a single phase, voltage is just 7,970 volts, and for three phases, 13,800 [volts], and the vast majority of our lines are that."

Crew leader Justin Elovirta and first class line worker Spencer Criscione led the demonstration while wearing rubber sleeves and gloves that are tested every three months for 17,000 volts.

Last month, a Delaware County, N.Y., firefighter was electrocuted at the scene of an accident when a low-hanging wire came in contact with the firetruck.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2023, there are 150 workplace fatalities on average a year and 5.6 percent of all workplace fatalities are caused by contact with electricity. Nearly half are caused by overhead power line contact.

"It's good information. People have got to realize, don't consider lines dead until the power company tells you it's dead," said William Markham of the Stockbridge Fire Department.

"They're the ones. Don't assume."

Tags: electricity, firefighters, first responders, National Grid,

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Peace Officer Standards Commission Strips Former Pittsfield Cop of Certification

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
02:52PM / Tuesday, August 25, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A former Pittsfield Police officer was one of five statewide who recently had their licenses revoked by the POST Commission.

Last week, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission voted to strip five former officers of their licenses to work in law enforcement, including former PPD officer William Straub.

The commission had determined that these workers were unfit to carry a badge and gun in Massachusetts; so far, 92 state police officers have been decertified by the commission.

Records indicate that Straub faced charges tied to a 2024 incident, but details are redacted. On Oct. 31, 2024, the POST Commission suspended Straub's law enforcement certification, and he resigned from PPD in April.

"According to Pittsfield District Court records, Straub pleaded guilty in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery tied to a 2024 incident," MassLive wrote on Monday.

"Three other charges, including drunk driving and carrying a firearm while intoxicated, were continued without a finding. While that resolution allows the charges to be dismissed after a period of time if Straub abides by certain conditions, the commission treats them as a criminal conviction."

According to records, he was certified as a police officer in July of 2021, and recertified in July 2024.

"The Respondent's appointing agency, the Pittsfield Police Department ("PPD"), submitted a final report to the Commission finding that the Respondent had engaged in criminal conduct and conduct unbecoming [of] an officer," the Aug. 20 final decision to decertify reads.

"The Respondent resigned from PPD on April 9, 2026, prior to the imposition of any discipline."

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