After severe weather strikes, customers may see utility employees and contractors in their neighborhoods – especially in the yards of homes where downed wires may be present. Often, these individuals are part of DTE’s Secure First Team, a specialized group dedicated to protecting our communities from downed wires and other electrical hazards after a storm.
Who are the Secure First Team?
The Secure Team is composed of nontraditional personnel and contractors – often retired police officers, fire fighters, military veterans, electrical workers and even schoolteachers. Each member is specially trained to identify downed wires, report hazards and mark off dangerous areas to keep the public safe.
Working in teams of two or three, these crews operate 24/7 across DTE’s 13-county service area, playing a vital role in storm response. They assist first responders and help protect the community in the critical hours following severe weather.
How can you identify a Secure First Team member?
- Marked personal vehicles: While they may drive their own vehicles, each one will display a magnetic “DTE” sign or flag on both the driver and passenger sides.
- Distinctive safety gear: Team members wear a hard hat, a high-visibility safety vest and rubber overshoes or boots worn over their regular footwear.
What do Secure First Teams do onsite?
- Announce their presence: Secure First Team members always introduce themselves when entering a customer’s exterior property to inspect DTE equipment.
- Before 10 p.m., they’ll knock on the door; after 10 p.m., if the occupants are awake, they may knock, or they will loudly announce “DTE” before entering the yard.
- Team members will never enter a customer’s home.
- Inspect for hazards: They will walk the property – and, if necessary, adjacent yards – to locate any hazards. Secure First Team members do not touch or move downed wires, maintaining at least a 25-foot distance from the wire and anything it may contact.
- Secure the area: They place yellow caution tape at a safe distance around the hazard, sometimes using wooden stakes to hang the tape securely. Neighbors are notified of the hazard either in person or with a door hanger if no one is home or awake.
- Support first responders: If a first responder is already on site, Secure First Team members will relieve them. Once the area is safely marked, the team moves on to the next reported downed wire -unless specific hazardous conditions require them to remain onsite.
We understand that seeing nontraditional utility employees might be unusual but rest assured: DTE’s Secure First Teams are here to ensure everyone’s safety during storm recovery. Their efforts protect residents and first responders alike when downed wires or other electrical hazards are present.