This reported issue has been reviewed. An immediate response to this has been initiated.
Rick Fontana, New Haven Emergency Operations Center

Anything involving an immediate threat to life, health or property, please call in to 9-1-1. Emails and SCF issues should be for non-emergency issues.

Rob: While you are explaining to people how to report emergencies, perhaps you should explain to your staff how to handle any report of an emergency, including an incorrectly submitted one such as an email.

Please read http://www.contactvoltageinfo.org/ for a wealth of information on the subject of contact voltage. We need some of this legislation here.

Hey David,
It looks like both Emergency Ops and LCI did just that. Woot Woot City of New Haven.

(Love you David :)

@ Streever

You are lost in cyberspace with your comment. This issue was handled correctly. You have an axe to grind with the CAO but you should not use SCF as your platform or soapbox.

Be fair. The truth is the City did the right thing here and u want to talk trash just because you hate the City.

Go ride a bike.

Even Ben put u on blast!

Omg

Just to clarify, @Smuts, @EOC or @LCI,

Did this get closed out? What was the response?

Thanks.

I am not sure if this area is safe now. Does the city ever post an explanation on ClickFix of what was found when an issue was investigated? Just this morning another dog walker told me that his dog refuses to walk on that side of the street, and he couldn't figure out why. According to the information that Mark posted, contact voltage problems can be missed, depending on what detection method they used. When I experienced the problem, it was early morning, on a damp pavement, after a number of days of melting snow and salt soaked the area. If electromagnetic testing is not done under similar conditions, might not the problem still exist? Anyone know how can I find out more information? It is also very hard to tell who is whom on this site (who represents a city department, and who, like me, is a city resident). Some people have official-looking logos, but no city department is referenced. For example, Rob Smuts uses some sort of logo, but it is illegible, and he lists no city connection, but lists a "rank" of "Jane Jacobs". This information is not clear to me. Any help would be appreciated (I will not respond to any rude responses, because I am not posting here out of boredom or a need to argue with anyone).

Fire Dept responded and made sure there was no apparent immediate threat of a significant stray voltage. UI was then contacted by the NHFD and UI is conducting their stray voltage tests, which should identify if there is even a very low-level stray voltage and where it is coming from if there is. We will post the resolution when we hear back from UI.

"Jane Jacobs" is a designation assigned by SeeClickFix based on how frequently someone comments. My title with the City of New Haven is Chief Administrative Officer.

Best,

Rob Smuts

Mr. Smuts,

I appreciate the information. Thanks.

Concerned Resident, this is good information for SeeClickFix too. Thanks for the feedback.

The issue is unresolved so I'll reopen it. I talked to the NHFD .....

College Street, not "Ave".

I just received an email from the site planner's office, forwarding the electrical contractor's confirmation that they had inspected the site, and indeed had found and corrected a mechanical defect that was creating stray voltage on the sidewalk on College(Prospect) Street, beside Grove Cemetery.

Thanks to Malinda Figueroa at the City Engineer's office for starting this chain of actions, and to anyone else on this site who also tried to help.

I am very happy that the problem was found and fixed before anyone (or any companion animal) was seriously injured. Again, thanks to all.
RFM (Concerned Resident)

Hi, Concerned Resident.
I'm a reporter with the Independent. I'd like to do an article about this problem. Can you call me? 203 909 1990.
Thanks,
Thomas MacMillan
thomasmac(at)gmail.com

Concerned, you might consider taking this further and advocating for higher safety standards via legislation. See http://strayvoltagenyc.org/ , another resource. NYC has tracked more than 30,000 instances of stray voltage and it can kill humans, not just pets.

Thank you concerned resident for reporting this issue. As you stated, it was a mechanical defect that was quickly corrected. Thanks to the other City departments as well for rapidly responding and alerting us to the problem.

I'm glad this was resolved, and appreciate Concerned Resident posting the update. The point of SCF is not to teach indidivuals how to use 911, but to give them a platform to report issues, and for the city to transparently report on the resolutions of real problems.

Rhode Island recently passed legislation on this. http://www.contactvoltageinfo.org/rhode-island-passes-contact-voltage-legislation/

people have been killed in New York by stray voltage under the street. If it varies, it could be the time of day, It is alarming and typical that the authorities tried to deflect this complaint and squash it. Why is it marked 'closed' above with no apparent resolution? They should go overboard to reassure pedestrians that it is truly looked into, the source searched out AND FIXED, not dismiss it or tell you to go elsewhere.

It's closed because they resolved the mechanical repair as stated above. Thanks and agreed that this is a serious concern!