An article written by two members of the Operations and Intervention Division of the Civil Protection, Prevention, Fire Extinction and Rescue Service (SPEIS) has been published in a specialist magazine. The piece analyses the prevention protocol for the effects of gas leaks.
Barcelona introduced a protocol in 2008 which is a pioneering procedure at a national level. The Supply Company Protocol was created to coordinate with Aigües de Barcelona, Endesa and Gas Natural and minimise certain risks relating to the activities of these utility companies.
The protocol is activated when potential gas leaks are detected, for instance as a result of excess pressure on pipes or overheating in the power network, a water leak or a fire resulting from these situations. The Fire Service responds to 140 cases of this nature every year.
Any member of the public can report such situations using the 112 emergency number, or by directly contacting the same companies. Once the report is received, the Emergencies Management Centre (CGE) puts a team of firefighters on the scene to assess the situation. If they decide that the incident may affect other installations, they activate the protocol and then take responsibility for coordination with the companies and the safety of the technical staff that intervene, as well as the general public.
The article was published in the magazine for the Asociación Profesional de Técnicos de Bomberos (APTB), a two-monthly publication aimed at emergency services, with articles written by professionals in this sphere.