ATLANTA — First responders in Atlanta conducted a critical training exercise on Tuesday, preparing for potential emergencies during major upcoming events by shutting off natural gas in the downtown area.
As Atlanta prepares to host millions of visitors for events like the World Cup, first responders want to make sure they are prepared for any possible situation.
The training took place near the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, focusing on how first responders would handle a gas emergency during high-profile events.
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“Over the next 18 months, the city of Atlanta is going to have millions of visitors here,” Tiffany Callaway Ferrell, VP of Operations at Atlanta Gas Light told Channel 2’s Michael Doudna. “So that on the day when there’s an emergency, when there are things really at risk, we’re not scrambling.”
The training exercise, which involved shutting off natural gas in the downtown area, was a collaborative effort between first responders and Atlanta Gas Light.
The goal was to ensure that all parties involved could effectively coordinate their actions in the event of an emergency.
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“People need help, and how do we get to them? How do we move efficiently?” Anaré Holmes with Atlanta Fire Rescue said. “The coordination is constant.”
One of the key tools they used was a hydro excavator, which can use up to 1,200 gallons of water to excavate areas around pipes quickly and safely.
“We all know what our sweet spot is,” said Holmes. “But joint trainings like this make sure that we’re choreographing in sync.”
Officials say this is likely not the last training they will have as they gear up to several major events.
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