Representatives from Unitil recently met with members of the Auburn Fire Department to conduct critical gas training in an effort to ensure an effective response to a natural gas emergency.
Unitil is a provider of electricity and natural gas to customers in New England and 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, which was held at the fire station, offered an overview of the Auburn gas system, its critical infrastructure, including regulator stations and the protection and security measures that are installed to guard against over-pressurization. Operations personnel also reviewed Unitil’s response to hit gas lines, odor complaints, and other emergency preparedness and mitigation strategies.
“In emergency situations, we know we need to be working closely with first responders to help them ensure public safety, and we know we will need their help to allow us to respond quickly and efficiently,” said Unitil External Affairs Director Alec O’Meara. “High levels of coordination and communication are crucial in these moments and essential for making informed decisions. We appreciate the work of our local emergency partners and the strong relationships that we’ve built, and we want to make sure they know that we’re equipped with the personnel, training, tools, and expertise needed to help protect the public in an emergency situation.”
The training was provided by Mark Dupuis, Unitil’s director of Gas System and Transmission Operations, and Kyle Bennett, supervisor of Technical Training and Quality Management.
Among other things, they explained the functions of the gas control center, which is staffed around the clock and is responsible for continuously monitoring pressures and flows for all of the company’s service territories. The center dispatches emergency crews to the field, provides a direct line of contact for police and fire, and initiates internal notifications for emergencies and incidents.
The training also included a discussion of potential ignition sources, warning signs of a gas leak, damage prevention, and additional training resources.
“We go on a number of gas calls in the city annually and train around the response on the hazmat side, but there are just more and more diverse threats that we have to address,” said Auburn Fire Chief Robert Chase. “While we understand the hazmat side, we want to understand how that affects operations and how we can work with Unitil to resolve situations. We can go in and say, ‘Yes, there’s a gas issue here’ and we can isolate it, but we wanted to know what else Unitil brings to the table in partnership to resolve the situation. I think this type of training and building on it in the future is where we need to go.”
Photos:
Top Right: Auburn Fire Pvt. Jenaka Sawall examines a plastic tapping tee attached to a section of service line during recent natural gas training provided by representatives from Unitil.
Middle Center: Mark Dupuis, Unitil’s director of Gas System and Transmission Operations, speaks with members of the Auburn Fire Department during a recent natural gas training event held at the fire station.
Bottom Center: Kyle Bennett, supervisor of Technical Training and Quality Management at Unitil, presents information regarding natural gas leak warning signs during training held recently with members of the Auburn Fire Department.
Teaser Image: Members of the Auburn Fire Department listen in as Mark Dupuis, Unitil’s director of Gas System and Transmission Operations, highlights safety measures during recent natural gas training.
