COVID-19 brought many changes to our communities, affecting the way we live, work and interact. Yet one thing remains constant — our commitment to safety. 

Over the years, Dakota Electric created a culture of safety by putting our employees’ wellbeing, and that of the community, above all else. While the pandemic changed how we approach our everyday health and safety, it also redefined the way we teach electrical safety. 

Prior to COVID-19, manager of safety services, Brandon Lunde, promoted safety education in our schools and local communities through electrical safety programs. The Play It Safe Around Electricity program taught children eight and older about electrical safety in an interactive way. Additionally, a more detailed power line safety program was created for public safety personnel, contractors, farmers, and other community organizations and clubs. Annually, Dakota Electric presented 20-30 safety demonstrations, reaching an average of 1,500 to 2,500 people.

To keep electrical safety education 

in our schools during the pandemic, we created the Exploring Electricity series in the spring of 2020. The three videos, each less than 10 minutes long, focus on teaching electrical safety to elementary students in a fun and engaging way. The videos are available to view on Dakota Electric’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/user/DakotaElectric.

Teachers are encouraged to use the Exploring Electricity series with a lesson plan, or on its own, until we can resume in-person safety demonstrations. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Brandon Lunde at 651-463-6290 or email [email protected].