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Welcome to National Grid’s Tips of the Trade for first responders. These tips are intended to help you respond safely and effectively to incidents involving natural gas and electricity. Please review them with your team.
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| Responding to natural gas explosions |
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| Natural gas explosions, while infrequent, pose significant risks and consequences for first responders and can be devastating for the community. The checklist below provides an overview of important precautions for these incidents. |
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| When responding to the report of a natural gas explosion, immediately notify and request the response of National Grid through your dispatcher, and take these steps: |
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Approach cautiously. Park at least 100 feet from involved structure(s), out of the collapse zone and away from manhole covers, gas valve covers and storm sewer grates. Wear full PPE, including SCBA. |
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Create an exclusion zone. Isolate the leak area for at least 330 feet in all directions. Secure the area with caution tape and reroute traffic as needed. |
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Evacuate the area. Work with law enforcement to clear the area as soon as possible after an explosion has occurred. Evacuate 330 feet to ½ mile, per the DOT Emergency Response Guidebook. The incident commander will make the final determination of the extent of the evacuation. |
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Triage and treat the injured. |
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Establish a water supply. If natural gas is burning, you may use a fog spray to limit fire spread. Do not extinguish gas‑fed fires, as this will allow gas to accumulate and reignite. Always allow a natural gas fire to burn until the gas can be shut off at the source. When the gas supply is depleted, the fire will go out on its own. |
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Establish hot, warm and cold zones. |
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If possible, verify evacuation of occupants through a secondary search. |
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Monitor gas concentrations. Use properly calibrated and maintained combustible gas indicators (CGIs) to monitor the atmosphere and assess the hazard level. |
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Remain alert for gas migration and secondary explosions. Unburned gas may continue to accumulate in confined areas and present an explosion hazard. Exercise extreme caution when approaching and entering the hot zone. |
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Control utilities. In extreme or prolonged situations, the power to the structures or areas involved should be shut off. |
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| For more first responder safety information, visit firstresponder.ngridsafety.com. |
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| To report emergencies, call 911 and National Grid immediately. Always call 911 if you suspect a gas leak! |
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| In case of gas emergencies: |
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Long Island and the Rockaways:
911 and 1‑800‑490‑0045 |
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Metro New York:
911 and 1‑718‑643‑4050 |
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Upstate New York:
911 and 1‑800‑892‑2345 |
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Massachusetts:
911 and 1‑800‑233‑5325 |
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#17515 © 2025 Culver Company, LLC |
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