StreetZaps
We first reported on Blair Sorrel’s organization called StreetZaps in our newsletter of November 13, 2009. She initiated this non-partisan initiative to reduce the year round risk of injury and fatality from contact voltage shocking or electrocution resulting from damaged or tampered wiring.
Thanks to her website and her tenacity, there is an increased awareness in cities around the country, and now “across the pond”. Streetzaps provides information about the hidden hazards of stray voltage and provides helpful hints on how to identify and avoid them.
Remembering Jackie
By Elizabeth Forel, Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, June 28, 2008
It was a cold and snowy day on January 9, 1999. Things were different then for the carriage horse trade. If you think they get away with murder now - it was worse then.
There was no activism to speak of - no one was advocating for the horses. The Carriage Horse Action Committee had seized to exist in 1995 after losing the battle to keep the horses in the park.
The ASPCA officers never bothered ordering the horses back to the stable when it was raining or snowing - ignoring the law that requires horses not to work during adverse weather conditions. It had been snowing all day and the ground was wet.
Jackie, a seven year old horse, was on her way back to Shamrock Stables, which was then located on the east side of Manhattan, when she stepped on a Con Ed service box cover and was electrocuted. She kicked her driver in the head, collapsed and died.
In the years that followed, the idea of being electrocuted from stray voltage emanating from a Con Ed box became more of a reality as dogs were electrocuted and a young woman was killed while walking her dogs a few years ago.
If you see any outdoor electrical fixtures that appear tampered or energized, please report them to http://www.streetzaps.com/shockreport.htm. If you’re in New York, be assured that whatever you map on Streetzaps.com, Con Edison monitors.
Read the Full Story.
For more information, visit www.Streetzaps.com
