MIAMI, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The mailman has long been recognized for
braving rain, sleet and snow to ensure mail gets delivered in a timely manner
(bills included). But what about the men and women behind the bills -- the
meter readers of the world, who are charged with reading millions of meters a
month to ensure utility bills are accurate and on time?
According to Florida Power & Light Company, among the work-place
challenges meter readers face, some of the biggest are staying safe and
healthy. Among other things, that means avoiding dog bites from pets
determined to protect home and property. Fortunately the incidents of dog
attacks have dropped sharply at FPL in recent years, thanks in part to what
may seem an unusual line of defense -- a telescoping umbrella.
The umbrella is just one of the tools used by FPL meter readers for
personal safety and protection, but it's proving to be both low tech and pet
friendly. Whenever a dog approaches a meter reader in a threatening manner,
the umbrella can be activated in the direction of the animal.
"The popping sound first startles the dog," said Andy Duzyk, FPL's north
area manager for meter reading. "Then the umbrella provides a barrier between
the dog and reader."
Florida Power & Light Company is one of the largest electric service
providers in the country, so its meter reading employees have the potential to
meet a lot of dogs.
"Our service territory stretches from Miami to Georgia and along the West
coast of Florida from Bradenton to Naples," said Duzyk. "Our 450 meter
readers read about 4.2 million meters every month. When you consider that
about 42 percent of the homes in America have dogs (often more than one), our
meter readers have the potential of meeting about 84,000 dogs a day.
"Clearly, most are well-behaved and secured by their owners," Duzyk said,
"but those that aren't do cause us concern at times for the safety of our 450
meter reader employees."
The umbrella program started as an FPL pilot project in 1996. Since its
adoption, FPL has seen a dramatic decrease in dog bite injuries. According to
Duzyk, five years ago more than half the injuries meter readers experienced
were from dog bites. Today that's down to 18 percent. Duzyk hopes FPL
customers will help drive it even lower.
"An umbrella doesn't harm a dog -- it's a good first line of defense,"
Duzyk said. "While our readers are equipped with other protective devices,
such as pepper spray, the umbrella is the preferred choice. Most of us are
dog-owners as well, so we want to keep interaction to a minimum.
"Our goal is simple, we want to render customers with timely, accurate
bills in a safe manner," said Duzyk.
The best way to ensure an accurate reading, according to Duzyk, is by
physically checking the meter. Unlike mail boxes, meters are seldom if ever
in front of the house. Usually they are on the side or the back of the
building -- often behind a fence, hedge or other obstruction.
FPL trains its employees not to enter yards unless animals have been
safely secured, either inside the house or garage. But on one occasion, even a
garage door wasn't strong enough to hold an overprotective pooch.
Tony Tucci, an FPL meter reader was almost attacked by a pit bull eight
years ago. "The dog was inside the garage, but he knocked down the back door,"
Tucci said. "Back then, all we had was pepper spray, so I sprayed him, but
the dog kept coming. So, I used my handheld computer as a shield to ward off
the dog. When the customer rushed out and called off the dog, I jumped the
fence. The computer had a dime-sized hole, but I was okay."
Three years later, Tucci found himself face to muzzle with a protective
rottweiler and deployed the umbrella. "I was on a service call and I entered
the yard. The dog came running up to me. I opened the umbrella in his
direction, and he ran away," said Tucci. "It's nice knowing you have something
between you and the dog. It gives you time, buys you the extra second that you
need to get out of harms way."
"We're after an injury-free workplace and we believe that's something
everyone can contribute to and support," Duzyk said.
According to FPL, there are a number of ways customers can help ensure a
timely, accurate, monthly reading, while lessening the chance that Fido and
the meter reader will surprise each other.
One is a reminder on the monthly bill. Just under the account number, FPL
notes the "next scheduled read date," so customers can mark it on the
calendar.
FPL also offers a "Call Ahead" service for pet owners, which is an
automated system that will contact the customer the day before the meter is
due for reading, so the pet can be left indoors.
FPL's meter readers also use their umbrellas to move vines and branches
out of the way to get a clear view of the meter. In the process, the lowly
umbrella contributes to fewer scrapes and scratches and helps cut down on the
number of insect bites. And, on rainy days, they can always be used for their
original purpose -- staying safe and dry.
Florida Power & Light Company is the principal subsidiary of FPL Group,
Inc. (NYSE: FPL), one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related
services with annual revenues of more than $8 billion. The company serves 3.9
million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, LLC, an FPL Group energy-
generating subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and
renewable fuels. Additional information is available on the Internet at
http://www.fpl.com.
SOURCE FPL Group, Inc.
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CONTACT:
Florida Power & Light Company, Corporate
Communications, media line, +1-305-552-3888
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