A story about counterfeit extension cords has stirred a lot of interest among safety types. (Let’s hope consumers pay attention as well and skip discount-priced electrical extension cords.)

Today, I talked to Westchester Consumer Protection director Gary Brown, to find out if his people have discovered any of these knockoff cords. His office has done some amazing work, including discovering scores of children’s jewelry tainted with lead. This morning, he said he had seen The Journal News article, and had planned to visit dollar stores, the usual places such dangerous discounts are found. He just called back this afternoon to say his staff had visited four stores in Westchester, and discovered suspect extension cords in a Port Chester dollar store. He says there was no UL tag on the cord, and the symbol on the package wasn’t the hologram style that the regulatory agency uses. That’s great to hear. Rockland consumer protection workers were out today, too, and found questionable cords in two dollar stores.

As well, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission plans to send two investigators to Rockland next week to work with the county’s Office of Consumer Protection, according to Fire Safety Coordinator Gordon Wren. He says the feds are interested in tracking down the suppliers, distributors and manufacturers. They aren ‘t looking at the little guy. They want to stop the millions of dangerous counterfeit extension cord from reading U.S. store shelves.

What does this all mean? That Harry Oster, the Spring Valley fire inspector who first spotted the knockoff cords on Rockland store shelves, gets a big shoutout. Thanks, Harry.