Valley firefighters prep for holidays with end-of-year drills

TEMPE, Ariz. — Valley firefighters made sure they stay sharp with end-of-the-year training drills in Tempe on Monday.

Firefighters from several Valley cities ran through drills focusing on dealing with natural gas fires and leaks.

Phoenix Fire Capt. Darrell Wiseman said the drills are the culmination of a yearlong training program at the Southwest Gas Emergency Response Training Facility designed to make sure crews are ready to not only knock down a natural gas fire, but also handle the hazardous situation it presents.

Wiseman said ruptured gas lines can often spread the highly flammable gas to other areas and create further danger than just where a leak or fire may have originated.

“(There) could be gas underneath the ground that’s migrating,” he said. “That’s one of our biggest concerns because now you have gas underneath the ground and it could potentially be coming up into a house.”

Monday’s drills included a scenario in which a car accident ruptured a gas line, causing a natural gas fire. Crews were required to rescue the mannequin driver and check a nearby apartment complex for additional gas leaks as a result of the accident.

Wiseman said it is especially important for crews to practice handling gas fires with the holiday season getting underway.

“People are going to be a little more engaged in cooking, baking and doing different things and we want them to be concerned about what’s in their house,” he said.

Gas companies add an odor similar to rotten eggs as a safety measure. Wiseman said if people smell that odor, they need to get out of the building immediately and call 911. He said it’s critical people don’t turn anything on or off because even a light switch could trigger a fire or explosion.

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