SALTILLO – The residents of Saltillo can breathe a little easier, thanks to a donation from Atmos Energy.
The natural gas supplier recently donated $6,700 so the Saltillo Fire Department can purchase two state of the art sensors that can read levels of natural gas, carbon monoxide and oxygen in the air.
“Our old unit was purchased years ago and doesn’t have the capabilities of the new ones,” said Saltillo Fire Chief Chris Jenkins. “This is an unbelievable gift or commitment to our community.”
Jenkins said their current sensor was out of date and needed to be replaced. Instead of just replacing the existing carbon monoxide detector, they decided to look at the possibilities of upgrading. Adding a gas sensor will not only keep the firefighters and citizens safer, it will also allow the department to provide an extra service to the community.
In the winter, when people start turning on the heat, fire departments get an influx of calls for possible gas leaks. If firefighters sense a gas leak, they quickly get the people out of the home and call Atmos to fix the problem.
After researching different types of sensors, Jenkins decided to see if Atmos would help the department with the costs. It never hurts to ask, and the worst thing that could be Atmos saying no.
“We are happy to partner with the community and this device is a good asset for the fire department to have,” said Atmos public affairs manager Lauren Ann Cobb. “They called and asked if we could help. We are always ready to help.”
She said the company handles requests like this on an as-needed basis.
Darren Phelps, an Atmos senior service technician, uses a similar sensor on a daily basis. He said the device sniffs the air and automatically checks the levels. The lightweight handheld device runs on three C batteries and the display tells the operator what needs to be done in simple language. It even alerts the operator when it is time to recalibrate the sensors.
It even has a feature that will help firefighters find the source of the gas leak. On a certain setting, it will “tick” faster as the gas levels increase. Phelps said the sensor is very sensitive and works with any size building, from a small apartment up to a massive warehouse.
The Atmos donation will cover the cost of two sensors as well as a calibration unit. Jenkins hopes to have the equipment in hand by the end of the month. In addition to paying for the devices, Atmos has agreed to train firefighters on how to use them as well.
