Thursday, June 19, 2008

ConEd changes gas emergency procedures

Con Ed said in a prepared statement it has made a series of changes in its responses to gas leaks, including:

- Evacuating buildings when gas levels in the air cannot be lowered below 0.5 percent.

- Asking fire department and other agencies to remain on the scene to assist for as long as needed to protect the safety of customers, employees and other responders, as well as property.

- Dispatching more Con Ed workers when gas readings that cannot be quickly eliminated or reduced are found in multiple structures.

Additionally, the fire department is adding combustible gas detectors that can measure natural gas concentrations to the regular complement of equipment firefighters carry, said department spokesman Jim Long.


NY investigators cite lack of communication in gas explosion

Photo from NY Times

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The procedures include asking fire department personnel to remain on the scene "for as long as needed." That was exactly the problem in the Sunnyside explosion. They told the fire department they could leave! That they were NOT NEEDED.
Well, apparently they were wrong!

Anonymous said...

How about they stop wasting time on bogus gas leaks in order to rack up OT and destroy brand new sidewalks like they did to my father in-law 2 times also after they had the street dug up and had ample time to take their readings then. Now my father in-law has 3 different types of concrete in front of his house.

Anonymous said...

The Fire Department isn't going to stick around anywhere unless they can get their grubby little hands inside the residence in question to make the stay profitable. Otherwise, it is sayonara back to pillage the local supermarkets to extort free grub and booze for their shift-long barbecue in their taxpayer-funded frat house/station.