TOLEDO, Ohio, July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance customer service reliability, Toledo Edison, a FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiary, is using helicopters to conduct infrared "thermovision" inspections of high-voltage transmission lines in its western Ohio service area.

"Inspections and preventative maintenance are important to helping assure service reliability," said Linda Moss, regional president of Toledo Edison. "These inspections provide an early warning to our transmission engineers that equipment might need further inspection."

As part of this process, a black and silver helicopter with tail number N321AW will hover or move slowly over transmission towers and lines. The helicopter is owned and operated by Vista1, and will be using a thermographic camera to examine the temperature of transmission infrastructure. This camera displays hot spots, which can indicate that maintenance is required.

These patrols also may extend into neighboring utility service areas as entire lines are inspected from breaker-to-breaker, not just those in Toledo Edison's territory. Weather conditions or emergency needs elsewhere also may delay the schedule.

Toledo Edison serves more than 300,000 customers in northwest Ohio. Follow Toledo Edison on Twitter @ToledoEdison.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.

www.firstenergycorp.com

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.