Natural Gas Emergency Response Guidelines

All Toronto Fire Services personnel are responsible for following specific instructions to prioritize the safety of firefighters and the public during incidents involving natural gas/methane.

The Incident Commander at a natural gas/methane incident is responsible for managing the scene, including notifications to relevant agencies and ensuring proper documentation.

Full protective gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) must be worn when working in a potentially hazardous natural gas/methane environment where oxygen levels are low.

The first arriving fire engine should position itself upwind of the incident to minimize exposure to potential gas leaks.

Subsequent fire engines must remain parked a safe distance away from the incident unless called in by the Incident Commander.

A 65 mm hose line should be deployed and ready for immediate use as firefighters approach the incident.

The primary goal of these guidelines is to safely manage and mitigate natural gas/methane emergencies in Toronto.

The highest pressure category of natural gas lines, typically carrying gas at pressures between 6205 kPa and 9929 kPa.

Natural gas lines designed to distribute gas to local areas, operating at pressures between 1207 kPa and 3448 kPa.

Industrial natural gas lines with a maximum pressure of 450 kPa.

Commercial and institutional natural gas lines operating at pressures between 1.7 kPa and 140 kPa.

Residential natural gas lines designed to deliver gas to homes, operating at 1.7 kPa.

The point at which a concentration of flammable gas in the air becomes dangerous and can potentially ignite.

The level of flammable gas in the air that poses an immediate threat to safety and requires immediate action.

Emergency personnel and equipment trained specifically for rescuing individuals trapped in confined spaces, such as sewers or vaults.

The process of removing contaminants from a person's body, especially after exposure to chemicals or hazardous substances.

The Incident Commander is responsible for notifying Enbridge Gas Distribution immediately when natural gas is suspected to be involved in an incident.

Enbridge Gas Distribution representatives should be directed to report to the Incident Commander upon their arrival at the scene.

Enbridge Gas Distribution officials should be contacted for information regarding a natural gas emergency.

Personnel should report observations of damage or temporary repairs related to a natural gas emergency to the Enbridge Gas Distribution representative.

Enbridge Gas Distribution should be contacted for media inquiries regarding a natural gas emergency.

All potential ignition sources of escaping natural gas should be controlled.

Shut off all open flame appliances by closing their fuel supply valves.

Do not operate any electrical switches, as they can create sparks that could ignite natural gas.

Extinguish all open flames and pilot lights as they can ignite escaping natural gas.

Prohibit smoking in the area, as cigarettes can ignite escaping natural gas.

Only Enbridge Gas Distribution personnel are authorized to open a closed natural gas supply valve.

TFS personnel must not attempt any repairs or service to appliances at incidents involving suspected faulty natural gas appliances or equipment.

Natural gas refueling stations have emergency shutdown switches and control valves that can shut off power to the compressor and the gas supply in case of an emergency.

Most vehicles converted to run on natural gas are dual-fueled, meaning they can run on either natural gas or gasoline.

Natural gas fuel in vehicles is stored as compressed gas in cylinders made of steel or reinforced fiberglass.

The dispersion of natural gas vapors can be achieved through natural ventilation, fog streams, or intrinsically safe mechanical ventilation.

The natural gas supply valve may be closed to stop the flow of natural gas, but only when it is safe to do so.

Turning off the natural gas flow to a commercial or industrial building may disrupt production processes and pose additional risks.

If a natural gas fire is contained to a single appliance, firefighters should shut off the gas flow at the appliance's supply valve.

Firefighters should spray water fog on nearby combustibles to prevent ignition before the natural gas flow is stopped.

Despite a natural gas fire, it is important to check for gas accumulations in nearby buildings, sewers, etc., using gas monitoring instruments.

Natural ventilation involves using air currents to remove natural gas vapors from the area. This can be done by opening windows and doors.

Fog streams are a method for dispersing natural gas vapors. They create a fine mist that can help dilute the gas concentration.

Intrinsically safe mechanical ventilation systems are designed to operate in hazardous atmospheres. They are used to remove natural gas vapors without posing an ignition risk.

Explosive/combustible gas monitoring instruments are used to detect the presence of natural gas/methane in the air.