Valentine’s Day is here and Kissimmee Utility Authority is warning residents about the public safety risks associated with helium-filled Mylar or metallic balloons. More metallic balloons are sold on Valentine’s Day than any other holiday and, not surprisingly, it’s also the same day that utilities across the country experience numerous metallic balloon-related power outages.
Metallic balloons that contact overhead power lines can disrupt electric service to an entire neighborhood, cause significant property damage and potentially result in serious injuries.
KUA recommends these simple safety rules for handling metallic balloons:
- Be sure to secure a helium-filled balloon with a weight heavy enough to prevent it from drifting away.
- Never bundle metallic balloons together.
- Keep metallic balloons indoors and never release them outside.
- Never attach metallic streamers to any balloon, whether it’s latex or metallic.
- When disposing of metallic balloons, puncture them several times or cut the knot with scissors before throwing them in the garbage.
- Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon, or any foreign object, tangled in power lines. Instead, call KUA at (407) 933-9898 to report the problem.
Founded in 1901, KUA is Florida’s sixth-largest community-owned utility powering 90,000 customers in Osceola County, Fla. For more information, visit http://kua.com.