Lubbock fire, gas officials stress safety amid uptick in accidents

In the midst of an increase in natural gas leaks around the city, some prompting evacuations, Lubbock Fire Rescue and Atmos Energy are urging the public and construction crews to call before they dig and to follow best practices when they do. 

Ed Espinoza, manager for public affairs for Atmos Energy, said the increase in gas leaks can be attributed in part to the expansion of the city and construction. 

“That's why we are trying to push and reiterate the importance of calling 811 and knowing what's below before anyone does excavation,” Espinoza said.

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Calling 811 before you dig, Espinoza said, is how people and contractors know what is underneath them and where pipes are located.

However, the recent gas leaks in the past month have generally not been caused by individuals failing to call ahead, said Tarren Perkins, public information officer for Lubbock Fire Rescue. Rather, she said, the problem often stems from crews not practicing safe digging practices.

“Most of the time, they do call but there are a lot of things that go into that,” Perkins said. “Old maps or the maps are off by 5 [or] 10 feet or just old pipes needing to be updated information.”

Several recent gas leaks, Perkins said, were caused by third-party contractors and not city crews.

Both Espinoza and Perkins said that if you hit a gas line to call 911, even if you don’t hear gas escaping the line.

Afterward, Espinoza said, individuals should call Atmos Energy to notify them of the incident.

“We can send somebody out there to look at the piping itself — whether it be steel or poly — just to make sure everything is okay and if no repairs need to be made so there is no future leak caused by damage to that line,” he said.

Individuals should give themselves plenty of time to call 811 before starting any digging projects, no matter how big or small it is, Espinoza said.

“Please take the time and the precautionary measures to make sure that you, your family and your neighbors are safe,” he said.