When fierce winds and storms bring down power lines, Chief Robert Campbell said that the top concern for the Putnam Fire Department is safety.
"Power lines can kill anyone in a second and a lot of people are unaware of the danger," said Campbell.
His crews go to a scene to make sure no one approaches the downed line and that everyone stays safe. However, Campbell said that his department, made up of 35 volunteers, is spending more time than they should at the calls. "We are not here to babysit power lines," Campbell said.
According to Campbell, some volunteers in Putnam have spent anywhere between two to 24 hours sitting at the scene of a downed power line, waiting for the electric company, Eversource, to arrive or shut the power off.