Natural gas utility Black Hills Energy conducted natural gas fire safety training last week in Madison for volunteer firefighters from Madison and nearby communities.

Black Hills Energy's natural gas operations trainers led the natural gas education and safety training, provided at no charge for firefighters from Columbus, Madison, Albion, Meadow Grove, Stanton, Battle Creek and other communities. The training allowed firefighters to practice techniques to effectively contain and extinguish actual natural gas fires under controlled circumstances.

"Natural gas has an excellent safety record, and fires are rare," said Scott Zaruba, operations manager for Black Hills Energy in northeast Nebraska. "The best way to learn the traits of natural gas and gain experience in fighting a natural gas fire is during a training exercise like this."

Black Hills Energy has offered fire safety training for many years to firefighters throughout Nebraska and the other states the company serves.
"We work closely with emergency responders at municipal, county and state levels," Zaruba said, "and this training is another way we encourage and develop the close ties and teamwork it takes to successfully manage a natural gas incident."

In one exercise, firefighters use fire hoses and chemical extinguishers to put out a controlled natural gas fire fed by a pipe leading under an old automobile. The result simulates the potential outcome when a car strikes a gas meter. Simulated pipeline punctures and other sources of natural gas fires also are created.

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