First five contest entries eligible for a special prize this year

BALTIMORE (Jan. 24, 2017) – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) today announced the kickoff of the 2017 “Adventures of Captain Mercaptan^SM, BGE Natural Gas Safety Hero Challenge.” The annual contest encourages elementary school students in BGE’s service area to illustrate a gas safety message featuring Captain Mercaptan, BGE’s fictional natural gas safety superhero.  The contest, now in its fourth year, will award a total of $35,000 to eligible schools.

Entries will be accepted through March 19. A special prize will be awarded to the first five teachers to submit an entry.  Public and private elementary schools in BGE’s service area are urged to download the online entry kit and read our comic book featuring Captain Mercaptan.  In the comic book, Captain Mercaptan teaches kids how to recognize a natural gas leak and what steps to take when you smell gas.  Captain Mercaptan’s name is derived from “mercaptan,” a safety additive that BGE and other utilities put in natural gas to give it a distinctive rotten egg odor that makes gas easier to detect.  The super-hero and his safety sidekicks were designed by elementary school students through a BGE contest.

“Safety is part of our culture at BGE and maintaining a safe and reliable natural gas system for our customers is imperative,” said Christie McMullen, vice president of Gas Distribution, BGE. “Campaigns like the ‘Captain Mercaptan Natural Gas Safety Hero Challenge’ were designed for elementary school students to help them learn important aspects about working and living safely around natural gas. Students ultimately become safety ambassadors by taking the message home to their families.”

Schools are also encouraged to use the teacher’s guide at BGEGasHero.com  to review gas safety concepts with kindergarten through fifth grade students, and begin creating their contest entries.  Beginning March 27, entries will compete for votes during a two-week, online public voting period.  The winning schools will be announced in May.  Last year’s winning entry was from Fallstaff Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore. To date, BGE has awarded over $100,000 to area schools during the first three years of the contest.

Eligible schools will have an opportunity to win the following awards:

• BGE Captain’s Choice Award - $5,000 overall top winner among the Hero Award winners, meaning this school receives a total of $10,000
• BGE Hero Award - $5,000 for winners in kindergarten through fifth grade (one winner per grade
• Rock the Vote (for the drawing with the most online votes) – BGE backpacks full of school supplies and safety gear   

Captain Mercaptan teaches children that they can be a hero too if they follow these simple safety tips:

• Use your nose. Mercaptan is a safety scent that BGE puts in natural gas to give it a rotten egg smell.
• Use your ears. Listen for the hissing sound of escaping gas.
• Use your eyes. Look for dirt being blown into the air, dead plants or grass in otherwise green areas, fire coming from the ground or water bubbling and being blown into the air.
• If you detect natural gas, leave immediately.
• Don’t attempt to detect the source of the leak.
• Don’t use matches or turn anything on (including a cell phone).
• Find a safe place outside and call BGE or have an adult call 1.800.685.0123.

BGE traces its roots back to 1816 and the first gas utility in North America. Today the company provides safe, reliable natural gas service to more than 650,000 gas customers in central Maryland. Customers are reminded to immediately contact BGE at 1.800.685.0123 from a safe location if they have any questions or concerns about natural gas. For more information on the Captain Mercaptan contest, including future adventures, visit bgegashero.com. Gas safety tips are available at bge.com/CaptainMercaptan.