Caution and chance program
PUC Services is marking the 31st year of its long- running Caution & Chance electrical safety program, an interactive initiative that has educated more than 50,000 local students on the importance of electrical safety.
Designed for grades 3 to 5, the program has been delivered in schools across Sault Ste. Marie since 1995. It uses friendly, story-based guides; a boy named Chance and his dog Caution make critical safety messages accessible, memorable and fun for young learners.
A stand-out element of the program is its well-known electrical safety hamlet, a miniature model community that uses interactive technology to illustrate unsafe interactions with electricity. Through realistic, age-appropriate scenarios, a PUC team member guides students through each scenario to spot hazards, recognize the consequences of unsafe actions, and choose safer alternatives.
“We’re grateful to all of the PUC employees who have participated and had an impact on this valuable safety program over the past three decades,” said Robert Brewer, President and CEO, PUC Services Inc. “We now have employees working at PUC who participated in this program as children, who are thrilled to see the next generation take part.”
Currently, Ron Thomlinson, better known by the students as “Ronnie,” is leading the program. Thomlinson has been involved with Caution & Chance for nearly 15 years. A long-time PUC employee, Ronnie has a strong passion and dedication to teaching the importance of safety to children.
“This program is incredibly rewarding to be part of,” Thomlinson said. “Seeing how much the kids remember and knowing they take these safety lessons home and share them with their families really shows the impact this program continues to have in our community.”
“The Electrical Safety Presentation gave the students very valuable information and tips on how to deal with electricity safely,” said Jamie Miller, who teaches grades 3 and 4 at Greenwood Public School. “It is an important resource for our community. Ron was extremely knowledgeable, kind and passionate about what he is teaching.”
