Fifty Firefighters Complete Inaugural Columbia Gas Fire School

NGT&S Contact

Jen Browne – Communications Specialist
(713) 331-7474

HOUSTON (May 12, 2011) – Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc. and NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage’s (NGT&S) Columbia Gas Transmission today announced that more than 50 firefighters from throughout Western Pennsylvania successfully completed the inaugural “Columbia Gas Fire School.”

The Columbia Gas Fire School is comprised of two elements:

  • Classroom Training: a two-hour session including natural gas incident question-and-answer, a video showing how to safely respond to a natural gas incident, and a roundtable discussion on natural gas facilities specific to each community; and
  • Hands-on Field Training: each firefighter put their classroom training to work and had the opportunity to experience – hands-on – how to extinguish four types of natural gas incidents. This training was held at Columbia Gas Transmission’s training facilities in Ellwood City, Pa., and Waynesburg, Pa.

“Through the fire school, we are providing firefighters with the tools and resources to safely respond to a natural gas incident and creating a partnership designed to keep our customers and communities safe,” said Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania President Carol Fox. “It’s essential firefighters understand how to respond to a natural gas incident because many times they are first at the scene.”

“This type of firefighter training is vital and timely,” said NGT&S Executive Vice President and Group CEO Christopher A. Helms. “Having both a local natural gas utility and an interstate natural gas transmission provider together at this training is unique and offers a comprehensive overview of nearly all types of incidents. We deeply appreciate the selfless commitment of first responders and believe it’s important to develop and sustain meaningful partnerships with them.”

During the field training, firefighters are presented with an opportunity to learn how to extinguish four types of natural gas incidents:

  • Surface fire, which simulates an area that caught fire due to natural gas migrating to the surface;
  • Stack fire, which simulates a well fire;
  • Flange fire, which simulates an above-ground regulator station or meter setting fire; and
  • Pit fire, which simulates a fire in an excavation pit.

The field training sessions are led by both utility and transmission employees, many of whom also serve as volunteer firefighters in their own communities.

“We can’t thank Columbia Gas enough for offering this training,” said Dan Stack, Town of McCandless Fire Marshal. “Natural gas incident response is not something often practiced by fire departments, so to be able to receive the hands-on training from the utility’s personnel is outstanding. You can’t put a price tag on proper training.”

In addition to the training, each participating fire department with non-profit status will receive a $500 grant from Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and a $500 grant from Columbia Gas Transmission for the purchase of safety equipment.

Participating fire departments included, McCandless Township VFD, New Castle Fire Department, Knox VFD, West Deer VFD, Peebles VFD, Ingomar VFD, Highland VFD, Shenango VFD, Cranberry Township VFD, Mt. Lebanon Fire Department, New Stanton VFD, Canonsburg, VFD, Mt. Oliver VFD, Baldwin VFD, Oakdale Hose Co. and Sheffield Fire Co.

During the fall of 2011, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Columbia Gas Transmission will be providing similar training to fire departments in Columbia’s eastern and central Pennsylvania operating area and in Columbia Gas of Maryland’s Western Maryland operating area.

Fox noted, “The safety of our customers, communities and employees is, and always will be, our number one priority.”

About Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Columbia Gas of Maryland
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, with local headquarters in Canonsburg, Pa. (Washington County), serves approximately 414,000 customers in 26 counties. Columbia Gas of Maryland serves approximately 33,000 customers in Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties. They are two of the 10 energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). NiSource distribution companies serve 3.8 million natural gas and electric customers primarily in nine states.  For more information about Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Maryland, visit www.ColumbiaGasPa.com and www.ColumbiaGasMd.com.