By Jerry Knapp and Dan Moran
In “Improving Your Natural Gas Response Procedures” (Fire Engineering, March 2017), we examined the critical background knowledge you need to fully understand strategic and tactical considerations associated with response to natural gas emergencies. Most importantly, we stressed that our fire department procedures should include a “life safety first” policy, be based on procedures, and closely mirror gas industry best practices. The concept of the “kill box” was introduced to remind officers and members of the need for a proactive safety posture to guard against complacency. (Kill box refers to the area around the building in which responders likely would be killed or injured if a gas explosion were to occur. You may be hit with flying glass, other fast moving parts of the building, or even falling energized wires. Luck, faith, or fate will determine if it means certain death.) Case histories reinforced just how quickly and deadly “routine” gas leaks can become.
This article examines strategic and tactical issues that must be considered to effectively and safely mitigate common gas leak situations. You may want to compare the information in the article with the contents of your standard operating procedures (SOPs).
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