Eric Phillips, Gas Compliance Coordinator, recently spent an evening talking with a room full of Winterville firefighters to train them on how to safely handle a natural gas leak or fire.
Training emergency officials such as firefighters is part of GUC’s Public Pipeline Awareness Plan, which is required by the Federal government. Other elements of the plan include regularly communicating about gas safety with a variety of audiences.
“Our plan includes things you see pretty regularly, like ads in the newspaper or posts on social media about how to identify gas leaks and how to respond,” said Eric. “The plan also calls on us to offer training each year on how to safely respond to gas leaks and that’s what we’re doing here tonight.”
Natural gas pipelines are the safest way to transport energy, largely because they are buried underground. However, with more than 1,000 miles of pipes in GUC’s distribution system running under yards, streets, and sidewalks, people don’t always know how close they are to a natural gas line at any given time. While pipeline emergencies are rare, letting people know how to identify gas leaks and what they should do about them is important.
Eric said, “Everybody should know about the signs of a gas leak such as the rotten-egg-like smell, the hissing sound, seeing blowing dirt or bubbles, or a spot of dead grass or plants when all the others around it are alive and green. When you think there’s a leak, you should get out of that area and call 9-1-1 or GUC’s emergency hotline immediately. Because of the dangers they face, firefighters need additional information so we offer the training every year and tailor it to the needs of each department based on the hazards they could potentially face.”
Members of the Gas Department will conduct these trainings for any fire department in the area and send out letters every spring offering the training. Eric coordinated this training session for the Winterville Community Fire Department, and it was conducted with assistance from Carl Smith, Chris Bright, Glenn Crumpler, Mike O’Brien, and Chris Rouse. Later this month, they’re scheduled to conduct training for the Red Oak Fire Department.
“I like meeting in person and having those face-to-face conversations,” said Eric. “Public speaking can be a little scary but with these trainings, everyone is super nice and friendly, and we are all on the same page about providing public safety. Hearing that the training is well received is also another good feeling afterwards.”
