Gas Leaks- Don't Take Lightly!

[hudson144 150]

Imagine this-you were first due yesterday and you figure its the average run of the mill gas leak call, SURPRISE! As you are blown clear across the street and hopefully survived the blast I am sure that you might reconsider how you might have handled the emergency. Did you have all of your PPE on? Was the correct assignment dispatched? Did you follow the guidelines that are in place by your dept for handling gas emergencys? Approx 2 hrs ago I went to a gas leak,we were requested by con-ed, basement had a good concentration of gas in it. the Con ed guy found a leak in the pipe in the basement the size of a quarter and actually heard it from the 1st floor. were we prepared-yes, what if yesterdays incident didn't happen? would we have been complacent? possibly? think about it!!! a quote from the con ed guy "ANOTHER 5 MINS THIS PLACE WOULD HAVE BEEN LEVELED!"

[Jason762 2]

Why would anyone take a gas leak lightly? What happened yesterday in NYC happens all the time, maybe not on such a grand scale, but we are talking about a very flammable gas with a flammable range of approx. 4%-14% (depending on what text you are reading). If the correct assignment was not dispatched, then ask for it. The idea that we have FF's still responding to such emergencies w/o their gear on, or without following safety procedure is a scary idea.

Edited July 12, 2006 by Truck4

[Dondestro 9]

I work for a sub contractor for con ed As a certified gas mechanic in the city. Gas is no joke....i think about it every day while working. All we wear is a flame retartdent coverall. after whathappened in the city maybe people will realize this gas a serious matter. i think more training should be held not only by our departments but coned should host them.

[ny10570 745]

The buliding collapse is one of several in the tri-state area this year alone. Most recently was a house that was leveled on long island a few months ago. And while were on gas calls, don't forget CO. Westchetser has all ready had a CO explosion this year. We are really good at running head long into scenes with a high potential for catastrophy.

[cas2383 22]

I believe there was a car dealership too just recently out on Long Island that blew sky high due to gas....

[ONLOCATION 24]

Wish my Department would take these calls more seriously................ not a "Routine" Call.

[Guest]

Just curious....what calls should be taken lightly. Some might turn out to be nothing but you won't know until after you investigate.

An outside rubbish fire could turn into a structure fire by the time you get there. Even an automatic alarm will turn out to be a worker once in awhile. Don't get caught with the "its nothing attitude" its makes it harder on yourself to get up to speed when it turns into something.

[Guest]

Approx 2 hrs ago I went to a gas leak,we were requested by con-ed, basement had a good concentration of gas in it. the Con ed guy found a leak in the pipe in the basement the size of a quarter and actually heard it from the 1st floor. were we prepared-yes, what if yesterdays incident didn't happen? would we have been complacent? possibly? think about it!!! a quote from the con ed guy "ANOTHER 5 MINS THIS PLACE WOULD HAVE BEEN LEVELED!"

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I am assuming that the gas meter was not outside the house, otherwise I would have turned the gas off there. And if you were requested by Con Ed, why was the guy twiddling his thumbs until you got there?

Sheesh.

[FirNaTine 370]

I am assuming that the gas meter was not outside the house, otherwise I would have turned the gas off there.  And if you were requested by Con Ed, why was the guy twiddling his thumbs until you got there?

Sheesh.

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He wasn't twiddling his thumbs. He was actually trying to patch a hole in the inside service line by the foundation, that was the size of a quarter, and then ran outside trying to locate the curb box, which of course was buried as usual.

[Remember585 815]

What is, in everyone's opinion, a proper APPARATUS response for an inside gas leak? Should it be a minor alarm with just 1 & 1 or more?

I'm not talking about the number of personnel, that's a whole different subject. I am asking what rig assignments you guys think should handle these.

To take it another step further, what should the jobs be of these rigs?

What's a good action plan for an inside gas leak?

[Jason762 2]

What is, in everyone's opinion, a proper APPARATUS response for an inside gas leak?  Should it be a minor alarm with just 1 & 1 or more?

I'm not talking about the number of personnel, that's a whole different subject.  I am asking what rig assignments you guys think should handle these.

To take it another step further, what should the jobs be of these rigs?

What's a good action plan for an inside gas leak?

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The proper response for an inside gas leak is 3 engines, 1 truck, and 1 rescue. First due engine, truck, and rescue investigate with meters, tools, hose, etc. Second and third due engines stand by at hydrants. If it is a large building (hi-rise or just large in sq. footage) the second due engine may want to come up and stage in the lobby or two floors below with additional tools. You must have at least two meters so that readings can be verified. In addition a basic CGI is not enough, you should also have an LEL meter capable of giving a readout of what percentage of the LEL your at. At 10% of the LEL inside a building we're out.

[IzzyEng4 427]

My department runs a full 1st alarm assignment to all gas leaks or report of one in or out of a structure. Several times we have found the sourse comming from a structure and we would rather send everyone out even if it is unfounded. Musch of this came about due to an incident in Derby, CT at Christmas Time 1986. Many of you will know this as the River Reasturaunt Explosion on Main Street, Derby where several people lost thier life.

Crews were working in the area where Route 8 meats Main Street (Route 34). The resturaunt was located on Main Street, west of the work area in an old 3 story to the front, 4 story to the rear buildng. The basement was where the kitchen was. It was normal to smell gas in the basement due to the use of the stoves, that were turned on. Some time in the early afternoon, the building exploded leveling the entire building and damaging several other buildings in downtown. When crews arrived they were astonsihed bythe scene. Six people died if memory serves me correct. If it was after 4, the toll would have been higher since the upstairs floor was a catering hall and a party was scheduled there.

The investigation proved that the work crew had struck a gas main at their construction site a few day's prior and the gas permiated the ground, the gas collected in the basement of the reastureaunt. Also the area had old wells, canals and cycterns (if my memory is correct) do to the fact this was a heavy industrialized area. A pilot light was the ignistion source. The leak went undetected and the tragedy happened. This was the "fianl straw" to start CT's "Call Before You Dig" program, instituted a few months later.

To this day, the Derby FD responds to reported smells of natureal gas in the lower Main Street area. Every surrounding department has not take a reported gas leak lightly since this incident.

[TimesUp 148]

Proactive or Reactive. If it takes a tragedy for you to start thinking about fast ropes or a large gas explosion to start thinking about those dangers then you are reactive. The Fire service would be alot safer for firefighters if we as a whole were proactive.

We've all thought about something after it happened. But some of these thing should be on your mind every day. Its to late to start planning for something once its already happened.

Although I would'ent be too upset to hear that nobody had a pre-plan for a F2 tornado.

Treat all calls seriously, You'll never go wrong.