A switchgear device may include a frame defining an interior compartment, an electrical breaker component carried within the interior compartment, and a first optical sensor carried within the interior compartment. The switchgear device may include a grounding device coupled to the electrical breaker component and being within the interior compartment. The grounding device may include an axle extending between the interior compartment and an exterior of the frame, a linkage coupled to the axle, and a grounding switch coupled to the linkage and switching between a first open state and a second closed state. The switchgear device may include a controller coupled to the electrical breaker component, the first optical sensor, and the grounding device and configured to cause the grounding switch to switch to the second closed state based upon the first optical sensor.