HIGHLAND, IL – State Representative Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) teamed up with the family of Caleb Thomas Elliot to donate multimeter digital testers to FFA chapters across Illinois. The FFA chapters will use these multimeters to teach their students how to safely test electric currents and promote safety when dealing with electricity. Caleb was accidentally electrocuted while working on a house in Troy. At the time, Caleb was working toward a career in welding and heating, and cooling.
“When I heard of the terrible tragedy that happened to Caleb, I knew we had to do something,” said Meier. “Earlier this year, we passed House Resolution 283 to name August 11, 2025 as Caleb’s Legacy: Electrical Awareness for a Safer Tomorrow Day. When Caleb’s family came to me and asked if we can do anything else, we thought it would be very influential to donate multimeter digital testers to FFA chapters at the State Convention, and we made it happen.”
Rep. Charlie Meier and the family of Caleb Thomas Elliott personally split the cost of the multimeters and hope that their availability will encourage caution when working with electricity. Each of the over 300 Illinois FFA Chapters in attendance at the 2025 FFA State Convention in Springfield received a multimeter.
“I brought this forward to bring awareness to the need to be extremely cautious when working with electricity, and to hopefully ensure that a tragedy like the one endured by Caleb’s family never happens again,” Meier said. “I want to extend my condolences and my gratitude to Caleb’s two sisters, three brothers, and his parents, Doug and Dawn, for their loss, and Buchheits store for their help in obtaining these devices. I will work to continue to educate everyone on this issue so we can save lives in the future.”
Read more at Farm Week here.
