# From the Unclear on the Concept Department

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-unclear-on-the-concept-department/696235>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 22, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-unclear-on-the-concept-department/696235 "2014-08-22T20:40:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-unclear-on-the-concept-department/696235/1 "2014-08-22T20:40:47Z")

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[Rather than use buckets of ice water, there are four firefighters fighting for their lives after being electrocuted while spraying a marching band with their hose](http://www.whas11.com/news/local/2-people-injured-while-working-at-Campbellsville-University-on-aerial-ladder-272176541.html).

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-unclear-on-the-concept-department/696235/2 "2014-08-22T23:00:56Z")

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Sounds like a very avoidable accident. Isn’t one of the first things you learn in fire school “don’t put the ladder up next to a power line?”

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**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-unclear-on-the-concept-department/696235/3 "2014-08-23T12:02:05Z")

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> [@friedo](#):
>
> Sounds like a very avoidable accident. Isn’t one of the first things you learn in fire school “don’t put the ladder up next to a power line?”

They didn’t touch the wire, but with all the water perhaps electricity jumped a little further than they expected . Still they should be experts with that.

ONE is in danger - seriously injured. The other 3 are not in danger.

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**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-unclear-on-the-concept-department/696235/4 "2014-08-23T17:15:57Z")

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According to the article it was indeed an arc from the power lines without direct contact. The OP is right though, they did not get the concept that it was an ice bucket challenge, not a lukewarm hose challenge.

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-unclear-on-the-concept-department/696235/5 "2014-08-24T19:34:09Z")

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> [@Wile\_E](#):
>
> According to the article it was indeed an arc from the power lines without direct contact. The OP is right though, they did not get the concept that it was an ice bucket challenge, not a lukewarm hose challenge.

Well, it was an attempt to do a mass event for a whole marching band. Hard to get that large of an ice bucket up in the air.

Still, someone didn’t plan it very well and failed on some safety procedures for keeping clear of power lines.

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**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-unclear-on-the-concept-department/696235/6 "2014-08-24T20:30:15Z")

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Derp.