Low-flying helicopter with giant saw pruning trees in Akron-Canton region
The low-flying helicopter swinging moving blades over the Akron-Canton area may look like something out of a horror movie, but it's just your friendly neighborhood power company taking aim at trees that could cost you electricity during a storm.
Helicopter pilots working with Ohio Edison started trimming trees Tuesday along more than 200 miles of high-voltage lines in Stark and Summit counties, said Lauren Siburkis, power company spokesperson.
That work is expected to continue over the next several days.
Choppers will be seen dangling blades that are controlled by the pilots.
"This (method) is traditionally used along transmission and distribution lines that are inaccessible by bucket trucks," Siburkis said, adding that the system allows the company to "cover a lot more ground than using bucket trucks and line workers."
The goal is to get ahead of the summer storm season when falling trees, tree limbs and other debris cause problems along the lines.
"Trees are a leading cause of power outages, and we complete proactive tree-trimming work each year to prevent tree-related outages during severe weather," said Ed Shuttleworth, president of FirstEnergy’s Ohio operations.
Ohio Edison trying to minimize weather outages by trimming trees
The electric company has begun its 34-county effort to trim trees and cut back other vegetation "as part of its ongoing efforts to help enhance electric service reliability," the utility said.
"This work, paired with the vast upgrades we’re making to our local power system, undoubtedly helps minimize the impact of weather-related outages to keep the power flowing safely and reliably to customers," Shuttleworth said.
In Stark County, they'll be working in Alliance, Lexington, Massillon, Minerva, Paris and Perry Township. In Summit County, they will be working in Bath, Green, Copley, Coventry Township, downtown Akron, East Akron, Ellet, Fairlawn, Fairlawn Heights, Highland Square, Hudson, Lakemore, Lane Wooster, Merriman Valley, Northwest Akron, South Akron, Stow, Twinsburg, University of Akron, Wallhaven and West Akron.
The trimming is conducted every four years and costs about $21.6 million as the power company works to prevent tree-related outages that happen especially during spring and summer storms.
FirstEnergy works with certified forestry experts that include the Asplundh Tree Expert Co., Davey Tree Expert Co., Nelson Tree Service Inc., Penn Line Service, Townsend Tree Service and Wright Tree Service.
Environmentally safe
While onlookers may be concerned about disturbing wildlife such as nesting birds, Siburkis noted that the practice of using helicopters to address the power company's concerns is environmentally safe.
"We do actively inspect trees and we don't disturb them if there is a nesting bird family," she said. "We find safer alternatives. Most animals, from what I've heard, can hear the helicopter from pretty far away and they get out of the area."
Most of the work, she said, is "more surface-level. We're really just getting the debris and the brush around the outside parts of the tree. We're not invading their habitat within the tree."
But some trees may need to be removed if they are diseased or damaged.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Helicopter helps FirstEnergy prune trees in Akron, Canton
