By Justin McCarthy and Gregory Boivin
At 1021 hours on October 17, 2015, New Haven (CT) Fire Communications dispatched Engine 6, led by Lieutenant Justin McCarthy; Squad 1, led by Captain Gregory Boivin; Paramedic Emergency Unit 2; and Car 34 (battalion chief) to a reported “long fall” at 120 Tower Parkway. On receipt of the alarm, companies were immediately updated that the fall was within a smokestack. Engine 6’s McCarthy was well aware of the address: 120 Tower Parkway is the Yale (University) Central Power Plant (YCPP) (photo 1).
The background information on this site goes back more than 90 years when Yale University built a coal-fired power generator to supply the campus with power and steam heat. Fast-forward to today. The YCPP provides more than 50 percent of the campus with steam heat, power, and chilled water using a gas-powered generator system. The YCPP provides enough power to supply 11,000 homes and now uses a recapturing system to provide clean energy. Over the past year, the power plant had been undergoing renovations designed to achieve its “greenhouse gas goal” before 2020.
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