DTE response [[or lack of) to the boy electrocuted by a downed power line

**jt1** · November-20-13, 01:56 PM

Is anyone else a little disgusted by DTE's lack of response to the boy that was electrocuted by a downed power line.

They confirmed that there were at least 2 calls [[the first 12 hours prior to the incident) of a downed line near a school.

Now, call me crazy, but I was under the impression that downed lines were the top priority however DTE seemed exceptionally indifferent about addressing this one.

Is it that DTE was overwhelmed, indifferent to a poor area [[I'm sure the line wouldn't have been ignored for 12+ hours in a wealthier community) or just sheer incompetence?

Just seems to me that DTE has a double standard for service levels in Detroit compared to the 'nicer' areas in the region.

Thoughts?

**Mark Smiles** · November-20-13, 05:25 PM

Sure, I bet they had a crew on the way, then they realized it was not a wealthy area, so they ended up at a Denny's to kick back a bit.

**jt1** · November-20-13, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Smiles

Sure, I bet they had a crew on the way, then they realized it was not a wealthy area, so they ended up at a Denny's to kick back a bit.

That wasn't implied at all. It would be at the dispatch level. To assume that there are no differences in service between the city and other areas is being naive. This [[and living in the city and dealing with DTE for years) makes it pretty clear.

**Det_ard** · November-20-13, 05:51 PM

So JT1, explain to me why it took Consumers 8 weeks and dozens of phone calls to do a shut-off on a house being knocked down in Royal Oak. That's Oakland County. What conspiracy theory do you have to explain that?

**RO_Resident** · November-20-13, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by jt1

Is it that DTE was overwhelmed, indifferent to a poor area [[I'm sure the line wouldn't have been ignored for 12+ hours in a wealthier community) or just sheer incompetence?

Just seems to me that DTE has a double standard for service levels in Detroit compared to the 'nicer' areas in the region.

Thoughts?

I guess that is a bit of cold comfort for my neighbor who lost his house to a downed line last year.

http://www.dailytribune.com/article/...NEWS/308309964

Consumers [[albeit not DTE) seems to have problems with houses blowing around here, too.

**compn** · November-20-13, 06:12 PM

should call the police to keep people back until dte arrives...

**Hamtragedy** · November-20-13, 06:24 PM

I agree with the school being a priority, or at least near the school.

But I know of a neighborhood in GPP where they were told not to expect their power to come back till 11:30 am Friday.

**Scottathew** · November-20-13, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by jt1

Just seems to me that DTE has a double standard for service levels in Detroit compared to the 'nicer' areas in the region.

Thoughts?

Thoughts...

Well, I don't know if you noticed, but there were over a half-million addresses in Michigan without power after the storms. There was no nearby mutual aide available. Power lines were down, deal with it.

The best thing a person can do is to NOT touch a downed wire.

I hope DTE doesn't treat Detroit differently, and I don't believe that they do.

Take a look at the outage map: http://www.dteenergy.com/map/outage.html

Most of the large-scale outages in Detroit have been fixed, with many remaining in the suburbs.

Also of note since you're so worried about inequitable treatment, DTE crews are treated differently in Detroit, some are shot at when they roll up to houses to disconnect power or unhook illegal connections.

The boy was 13 and should have known better. I'm glad he wasn't killed. That also means that no one was "electrocuted" as your thread title suggests, as electrocution requires death.

**jt1** · November-20-13, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

I agree with the school being a priority, or at least near the school.

But I know of a neighborhood in GPP where they were told not to expect their power to come back till 11:30 am Friday.

Big difference between restoring power and securing downed power lines. Being without power, with the exception of extreme weather, doesn't risk killing people.

**Detroit Signal** · November-21-13, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by 48307

Also of note since you're so worried about inequitable treatment, DTE crews are treated differently in Detroit, some are shot at when they roll up to houses to disconnect power or unhook illegal connections.

Bingo. OR equipment needed to restore power is stolen right off the truck.

**JBMcB** · November-21-13, 05:08 PM

From the USA Today article:
"A DTE Energy worker was parked in a company vehicle on Lyndon near the school, steering people away from downed wires crossing the street, the boys and Woody said.But the boys tried to cut through a vacant lot behind the school, where the wire was also down.

"We ducked under it, but [[the 14-year-old), he's tall, so he had to push the [[wire) up and that's when he got shocked"

It's horrible that a kid was electrocuted like that, but DTE *was* there, the kids ignored the warnings, walked right up to the downed line and touched it.

Putting blame on DTE is deranged.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · November-21-13, 05:37 PM

I feel terrible for the kid who got electrocuted. However, it is not even slightly DTE's fault. The storm caused the line to be down. I am sure the kid knew better, but he reached and touched it with his hand, he didn't accidentally step on it. There is no race or class issue involved here. A kid, tragically did a dumbass thing, and he got electrocuted. That's the long and the short of it. News to some people: not everything in life is someone else's fault.

**Islandman** · November-21-13, 05:40 PM

DTE is tasked with marking off the area a la a crime scene. Unfortunately that does not stop people from cutting through. It happens a lot. And yes, the DTE employees do not stand outside to safeguard the area, they are in their vehicles.

When I worked there, one of my coworkers would sometimes be gone for days after a storm to sit in her car at a downed line. She could be at one location for hours on end. DTE does not prioritize the location of a downed line based on location, although she would sometimes request nicer parts of town.

**Scottathew** · November-21-13, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

It's horrible that a kid was electrocuted like that, but DTE *was* there, the kids ignored the warnings, walked right up to the downed line and touched it.

Putting blame on DTE is deranged.

Also, it's misinformation that the boy was electrocuted. He was not killed, he was rescued by some brave individuals.

**gvidas** · November-22-13, 11:17 AM

Fun fact: the word 'electrocute' is a portmanteau of 'electricity' and 'execution.' Edison & co. came up with the term as part of a branding effort to convince NY State to switch to the electric chair for their executions.

While the word formally connotes death, it is commonly used to mean a severe, life-threatening shock from electricity.

**Scottathew** · November-23-13, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by gvidas

While the word formally connotes death, it is commonly used to mean a severe, life-threatening shock from electricity.

It's also used to exaggerate when someone wants to try to blame a utility for a lack of common sense from a young boy who was old enough to have it and thankfully survived.

This was an uncommon storm event with wide-scale damage across many states. The government and utilities can only protect us so much. At some point we have to put our big-boy pants on and make decisions for ourselves.