Thursday, October 13, 2011

Howard County Fire-Rescue was alerted for a reported gas leak at 7595 Montevideo Rd. in Jessup, MD. Upon arrival firefighters found high levels of gas in a very large structure. Quick thinking by one of the officers, they contacted Montgomery County and requested an airboat for ventilation. Airboat-740 responded, checked in with command and was instructed to report to Side Bravo of the structure. The airboat was backed up to a loading dock and began positive pressure ventilation (PPV) of the warehouse. Sandy Spring’s crew vented for approximately 5-10 minutes in this location, and then moved to a second loading dock. They continued venting for another few minutes there. Command advised that the Lower Explosive Levels in the building were reading zero, and that the airboat could return to service. Several on scene were amazed at how quickly the gas was vented from such a large structure. As of this writing the cause is under investigation.

In the event you think you have a gas leak, if safe to do so, quickly turn off any sources of ignition and exit the structure immediately! Call 9-1-1 from another location and DO NOT re-enter the structure until the utility company or emergency personnel can ensure it is safe!

Photo/ Video by Savage Firefighter Tyler Jones