Recent training with representatives from Unitil is helping some Maine fire departments strengthen their response to natural gas emergencies.
Unitil recently met with members of the Brunswick, Freeport, and Orono fire departments to improve response capabilities in the event of a gas incident within the company’s Maine service territory.
“We value the important work that our first responders do every day and recognize the importance of working closely with fire departments and other local emergency response agencies to ensure an orchestrated response when natural gas incidents occur,” Unitil External Affairs Manager Amanda Vicinanzo said. “These strong partnerships are crucial to keeping the public safe and allowing us to act quickly and effectively during any emergency. Clear communication and coordination helps everyone stay informed and make sound decisions, and respond to changing circumstances.”
Unitil, which is the largest provider of natural gas in Maine, offers gas training to fire departments throughout its service territories in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire on an annual basis with additional outreach throughout the year.
The training sessions, which were led by Stacey Kilroy, Unitil’s manager of Technical Training and Quality Management, included a review of how Unitil educates first responders; the properties of natural gas; abnormal operating conditions that may occur on the gas system and how the company would respond to each of them; an overview of Unitil’s infrastructure in each community; a discussion of regulator stations, underground valves, and aboveground valves at customer meters; mapping systems; and ignition and fire response.
The training also highlighted communication with Gas Control and Unitil's average response time. In Maine, Unitil responds to 91% of all odor calls within 30 minutes and 47% within 15 minutes.
During the training in Freeport, Unitil demonstrated the explosive level of both propane and natural gas and explained the difference between the two gases.
“As firefighters, we train for the unexpected because we know that an emergency rarely goes exactly as planned. Natural gas incidents can be particularly challenging because the hazard may not always be visible, and conditions can change very quickly,” Freeport Training Capt. Shawn F. Latulippe said. “Having Unitil work directly with our department gives our members a better understanding of those hazards and, just as importantly, gives us the opportunity to build a relationship with the people we may be working alongside during a real emergency. That teamwork can be just as important as the equipment we bring to the scene.”
For more information on natural gas safety, visit unitil.com/gas-safety.
