Media Notice

Exercise of Integrated Rescue System (IRS) Units of Pilsen Region – Gas Explosion near Otročín

Prague, 10 October 2013 –NET4GAS gave fire fighters the opportunity to conduct an exercise focused on massive gas leak accompanying damage in the pipeline.

On Thursday 10October 2013 in the morning, the rescue squads from the Tachov region andNET4GASworkers gathered in the municipality of Otročín, where a joint exercise of IRS units of the Pilsen region and of NET4GASfocused on pipelinefailure took place.

The main aim of the joint exercise was especially to test the information and communication mechanisms during an unexpected failure in the pipeline as well as the agility of IRSunits of thePilsen region. "Even though we practiced with the Pilsenfirefighters for a situation whose occurrence has been made completely impossible bymultiple security and monitoring systems of NET4GAS transmission system, I'm glad we were able to verify the functionality and efficiency of cooperation with the IRS units of thePilsen region," said the NET4GAS spokespersonMilan Řepkaafter the exercise.

Theme:

Gas initiation occurred due to a failure in the gas line and soil and rocks were thrown into the surroundingsnearOtročín municipality. A driver, who at that time was driving along the road in the direction of Svojšín, swerved and crashed. Both he and a female passenger were affected by thermal radiation while trying to escape the pillar of fire, suffering severe burns. The car caught fire due to radiant heat.

Firefighters rescued the two severely burned people from the danger zone, provided them with proper premedical care and transported them to safety, delivering them to the care of an EMS crew (fictional). They extinguished the car fire by two high-pressure currents (real fire).

The firefighters protected the gas line and the vicinity of the line section valve against the radiant heat by water curtainand deflectors, transporting water for cooling from the pumping station in Svojšínby shuttling.

The N4G Emergency Commission was summoned during the exercise in NET4GAS headquarters, which, in consistence with the Emergency Plan of the NET4GAS Transmission System, examined the connection and coordination with all subjects concerned, which, according to the Emergency Plan, should cooperate in resolving the situation.

“During the exercise, the policeensured the closure of the area at a safe distance from the place of intervention ensured detours at two crossroads. At the same time, they ensured appropriate conditions for the arrival of IRS vehicles to the point of intervention, as well as the diversion and regulation of the traffic,"said the police spokesperson,Lt.Ivana Telekešová,DiS, informing on the police activities.

The exercise was aimed at testing the interaction between all the units involved and NET4GAS, practicingthe rescuing of persons and protecting of objects against intense radiantheat, and, last but not least, at portable monitors operation and placement.

Remarkable things from the exercise:

In order to partially simulate the significant noise pollution that would accompany an actual gas leak, pressure blowers were installed in the vicinity of the leak which made ​​voice communication at the site of the incident difficult.

The shuttle service was very complicated. The road being narrow, two tanks could safely miss only at two places where the road was widened.

Units involved:

Fire and Rescue Service Unit Stříbro

Fire and Rescue Service UnitTachov

Volunteer Firefighting Unit Bor

Volunteer FirefightingUnit Černošín

Volunteer FirefightingUnitKladruby

Volunteer FirefightingUnitPlaná

Volunteer FirefightingUnitPřimda

Volunteer FirefightingUnitStříbro

Volunteer FirefightingUnitSvojšín

Fire and Rescue Service Unit KOPIS

Police of the Czech Republic (District Departments Bor/Planá, Stříbro, Tachov)

Region Police Directorate Pilsen

NET4GAS

Milan Řepka

NET4GAS, s.r.o.

spokesperson