Hazardous Materials Emergency
 
By Fire Lieutenant Kyle Hayden
June 7, 2018
 

At 16:30 hours on June 7th, Engine 3, Truck 3, NDW Engine 13, Hazmat 13, Engine 9, Squad 6, LPVRS Stations 38 and 39, and County Hazmat Unit 18 were alerted for the reported Hazardous Materials Emergency at Pegg Road and West Westbury Boulevard. Engine 32, Truck 3, Engine 92, and Chief 3A all responded at dispatch. Fireboard advised units that the call was going to be for a construction crew that had hit a gas line.

Engine 32 was the first unit to arrive on scene and staged at Westbury Boulevard and Pegg Road. Engine 32 observed a cloud of pressurized gas being emitted from the side of Pegg Road at the dispatched location. Engine 32's officer made contact with the construction crew who advised that they were Directional Boring across Pegg Road and excavating to reveal the area they Bored when they struck the gas line which precipitated the leak. Engine 32 had the construction crew evacuate the area and recommended to Chief 3A to begin evacuating homes on West Westbury Boulevard. During this time, Truck 3, Engine 132, and Hazmat 13 arrived on the scene and staged at Pegg Road and Forest Run Drive. Chief 3A arrived on scene and established Command. Engine 92 arrived on scene and staged at West Westbury Boulevard and Salt Marsh Court. Engine 132 and Hazmat 13 made their way to West Westbury Boulevard in the area of the leak and began atmospheric monitoring.

Due to positive readings on their meters, Engine 132, Hazmat 13, and Engine 92 began to evacuate homes on West Westbury Boulevard and Salt Marsh Court to establish the "Hot Zone" for the incident. Several homes were evacuated, and several residents were evaluated by EMS units with signed refusals being obtained from all evaluated. The area around the leak was secured and traffic was redirected away from the leak for the duration of the incident. SMECO was requested to the scene to secure power to a transformer that was in the area of the leak. Washington Gas was notified of the leak early in the incident and arrived on scene at 17:19 and began to secure the leak. Units stood by for several hours until the leak was secured at 23:16.

Residents of the evacuated homes were then advised they could return to their homes. The County Public Works department was notified that the road would need to be repaired as it was damaged from the leak. With no further fire department services needed, Command was terminated, and units returned to service.

 
Units: Engine 32, Truck 3, Engine 92, Chief 3A, Safety 3, Utility 3, Utility 9
 
Mutual Aid: Engine 132, Hazmat13, Hazmat 18, Squad 6, LPVRS, HVRS, SMCSO, Washington Gas, SMECO, St. Mary's County Public Works