Nearly 50 years after playing tuba in the Illinois FFA State Band, state Rep. Charlie Meier returned to Illinois FFA State Convention for the next generation of agriculturalists.
Meier visited the convention June 11 to ensure every FFA chapter received a multimeter, a safety tool used to check if an electrical outlet is wired properly.
The multimeters were given in memory of Caleb Elliot, an 18-year-old from Madison County, who lost his life in 2017 after being electrocuted on a job site.
“If he had a multimeter, he would have realized that the plug-in he was hooking into was wired incorrectly, and he would not have used it, and he would be here today with his family,” said Meier, R-Highland.
Caleb’s father, Doug Elliot, recalled the morning of the accident “started off to be a good day” as he sent his son off to his job at a local heating and cooling company. On his second job of the day, Caleb plugged equipment into an outlet with reverse polarity, causing the electrical current to flow back into the device.
“I believe that pump was metal, Caleb was on the ground, it had rained the night before,” Doug Elliot said. “When he turned the pump on, everything continued on from there to where he became the ground, and he was electrocuted.
“That was the start of this awareness, bringing us to where we’re at here now in 2025.”
Doug Elliot and Meier partnered to purchase 300 multimeters from Buchheit Stores, which provided a discounted rate. Along with donating the devices to each FFA chapter, they asked advisers to spend 15 to 20 minutes teaching students about electrical safety and proper multimeter use.
In addition, Illinois House Resolution 283, sponsored by Meier, designates Aug. 14 as Caleb Elliot Day. Meier told FarmWeek the goal is to raise awareness and save lives.
“Our youth are our future. We want them to be safe,” Meier said. “We do have a bright future, we just need to help make sure we keep them alive so we can have that future.”