On March 1, Louisville Fire responded to a multi-vehicle crash on the Second Street bridge that caused a semitruck to break through the bridge's side barrier and dangle over the Ohio River. The truck's terrified driver was stuck in the cab of the semi while emergency responders determined rescue strategy.
Ultimately, firefighter Bryce Carden was called into action to help rescue the driver. From the bridge, Carden was harnessed and lowered down to the cab of the truck. When he reached the cab with a rescue harness for the driver, he noticed she was tangled in her seat belt. In that moment, he remembered his LG&E-branded pocketknife – a giveaway from a company educational session that would soon have life-saving implications.
Carden explained in this excerpt from a WDRB news clip: "I took the harness; she assisted in taking it around her chest. It was a CMC rescue harness that we use. I clipped it on, and then…I realized that she was tangled up in the seatbelt. And it's funny…we were given a free pocketknife by LG&E at a training last year, and I just happened to have that in my pocket. I remember, it was like in slow motion. I looked down and I saw the pocketknife in my pocket and I was like, 'Oh my God, this just saved the entire rescue.'"
Carden used the pocketknife to cut the driver's seatbelt, and the rescue team pulled both back to the safety of the bridge.
Carden received that pocketknife during an LG&E Gas Operations public awareness educational session. Liaisons from the company visit with fire departments in the service area yearly to educate them on gas safety when working on the job. The public awareness group also provides in-person gas safety presentations at LG&E's East Operations facility. Additionally, the company offers first responders a variety of free training materials and online certification opportunities.
"Meeting with the first responders, including the fire departments, is important to Gas Operations because it allows us to coordinate our emergency response activities," said Malcolm Stephens, manager of Gas Regulatory Services and Corrosion Control, who oversees public awareness programs. "It is vital that all involved parties understand the safe and proper actions to take in response to a gas release or pipeline emergency. It also allows us to focus on protecting life, preserving the environment and mitigating damages."
For more information about in-person or on-site education sessions, interested groups can email safety.info@lge-ku.com. For online information, visit the company's web page for first responders, lge-ku.e-smartresponders.com.
Kudos to firefighter Carden and to LG&E's Gas Operations team and their life-saving education sessions and giveaways!
