Abington-area first responders gather in Dalton for natural gas emergency training

DALTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Firefighters and other first responders from across the Abington area in Lackawanna County gathered Monday to sharpen their response to emergencies involving natural gas, including gas leaks, appliance problems and carbon monoxide incidents.

Hosted by the Dalton Fire Company, the training session was taught by a representative of UGI Utilities.

Assistant Fire Chief Ron Stacknick said the department tries to offer utility-focused training at least once a year and invites mutual aid companies across the region to take part.

Stacknick described a range of scenarios the training addressed, including leaks outside a structure and problems with gas appliances inside a home. Some gas-related incidents can overlap with carbon monoxide incidents, and winter months tend to bring more of those situations.

“Any call that we go on, regardless of if it’s a gas or not, life safety is our number one priority. That’s our number one goal. Any utility calls, whether it’s gas, PPL, we find that the public at times take it lightly when they actually should take it very seriously. Evacuate the structure. Follow the instructions from the dispatchers,” said Stacknick.

Stacknick added that the department hopes to expand this training beyond first responders by adding future sessions aimed at educating the public about gas safety.

For more information on natural gas safety, visit UGI’s website.