Preventive campaign “Safe Kite” intensified in the region – 2024-09-07 17:06:53

This campaign seeks to raise awareness among children, adolescents and their families about the dangers associated with electrical grids when flying kites with cured thread.

In the framework of the celebration of the Fiestas Patrias, the Compañía General de Electricidad (CGE) launched in the O’Higgins region the preventive campaign “Safe Kite”, with the aim of raising awareness among children and families about the dangers associated with electrical networks when raising kites without the necessary safety measures and the use of cured thread in competitions of this type of game.

The activity was held at the Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna School, with the presence of local authorities, headed by the mayor of Rancagua, Emerson Avendaño; Álvaro Vergara, zonal manager of the CGE; Marcelo Montesinos, regional director of SENAPRED; Captain Rodrigo Castro, Commissioner of the 3rd Police Station; Juan Luis Fabián, president of the Fire Department in O’Higgins; Edwin Fuentes, director of the school, as well as teachers and a large number of boys and girls who study at that institution.

A dance of cueca kicked off this educational campaign led by the little ones Pascal Acevedo and Joaquín Cabello, who with the traditional dance opened the national holidays and received applause from all those present.

The mayor referred to the use of cured thread to fly kites, where there has been no awareness that it is an instrument that causes injuries and death to people who travel on bicycles or motorcycles in many places in Chile.
“This is an activity that should make us understand that we all like to fly kites, but we have to be aware that if we fly them with cured thread, it can cause tragedy,” said the mayor, referring to the case of a 7-year-old boy who was affected by a cured thread placed in a place where it did not belong.

Avendaño indicated that they are focused on visiting different vacant lots in Rancagua, because the point is not to fly kites, but rather to fly with cured thread and they are already planning to go there on weekends and together with the Carabineros, to be able to protect and confiscate all cured thread that is in the place.

The zonal manager of the CGE, Álvaro Vergara, reported that this is a national campaign that consists of raising awareness and giving advice to children about the risks that exist when flying kites.

As advice and recommendations to children, do not fly kites near electrical grids, do not take or lower kites near the electrical grid and do not use cured thread to fly kites, because apart from being electrical conductors, they are made of glass and the damage they can cause to people is serious.

SENAPRED Director Marcelo Montesinos said that the institution will always be present in all prevention activities in the region and that during the National Holidays, an Early Preventive Alert will be activated from September 13 to 22, where all the organizations that make up the Regional System for Disaster Prevention and Response will be put on alert.

“We must consciously promote prevention, self-care and awareness in risk situations, in order to reduce and create awareness in the population, so as not to subject ourselves to risky situations…”, said Montesinos.

The director of the Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna School, Edwin Fuentes, highlighted the importance of this campaign, which allows them to contribute enormously to the care, self-care and preservation of the physical integrity of all students.

He said that in this institution, boys and girls from kindergarten to 8th grade study, who are the people most exposed to high risk and when private companies collaborate with them “we are safeguarding the total integrity of our students.”

A demonstration was made of the risks and damage that cured thread can cause to electrical networks and, in addition, the damage it can cause to people, by electrifying it with an electrical conductor and also with vegetables and greens, simulating the body.