​The new detectors will give first responders the atmospheric monitoring and immediate situational intelligence they need to make quick, potentially lifesaving, decisions.

Videos and Broll of the press conference and training on the use of the detector can be found here.

SAN DIEGO, May 10, 2023 – The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department has one more tool in its arsenal to keep local residents and communities safe: 80 new multi-gas detectors which will be distributed to its fleet of emergency response vehicles this year. The devices, which can detect natural gas, carbon monoxide, and other toxic gases, were donated by San Diego Gas & Electric and will be distributed to all 52 fire stations in the City of San Diego.

“When our crews arrive on scene, safety and seconds matter,” said SD Fire-Rescue’s Fire Chief Colin Stowell, “It’s important that our firefighters have the tools they need to safely inspect and respond to potential gas incidents. These gas detectors are going to save lives.”

Chief Stowell, along with SDG&E, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation and city representatives, announced the mulit-gas detector donation at a press conference at San Diego Fire Station 45 in Mission Valley today. The equipment was purchased with shareholder dollars, not ratepayer dollars.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation sought charitable funding from SDG&E’s SAFE San Diego shareholder-funded grant program to buy MPower POLI MP400P Multi-Gas Detectors to equip San Diego Fire-Rescue’s fleet of emergency response vehicles. More than 1,000 SD Fire-Rescue personnel will be trained on how to use the detectors in the upcoming months, which will then be distributed to emergency response vehicles throughout the City of San Diego.

“Safety is at the heart of everything we do at SDG&E,” said SDG&E Chief Operating Officer and Chief Safety Officer Kevin Geraghty. “We take pride in supporting our first responders who put their lives on the line every day to protect our families, neighbors, and SDG&E crews.”  

Between 2021 and 2022, San Diego Fire-Rescue units responded to approximately 1,400 natural gas related calls in the City of San Diego. A relatively simple call about natural gas odor can quickly become dangerous for firefighters first on-scene if they do not have the proper tools before SDG&E crews arrive. Confined space rescues and fuel and hazardous material spills can also turn life-threatening to first responders and civilians if hazardous chemicals are not identified early enough. 

The devices detect the presence of oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, and combustible gas at lower explosive levels, also known as LEL. If dangerous or life-threatening levels of gases are found on scene, the detector uses a triple alarm system that generates an audible, visual, and vibrating alert, giving SD Fire-Rescue teams and frontline crews the atmospheric monitoring and immediate situational intelligence they need to make fast, potentially lifesaving, decisions to protect themselves and others from harm. 

Formed in 2005, the San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by former firefighters and dedicated community leaders. SDG&E’s support of the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation has been instrumental in providing funding for key programs that help keep San Diegans safe. “Our region has experienced the incredible benefits of a strong partnership between the Foundation and SDG&E” said Wendy Robinson, executive director of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation. “This generous donation provides first responders with vital tools, representing yet another success story resulting from collaborative efforts to build a safer future for our community.”

SDG&E is an innovative San Diego-based energy company that provides clean, safe, and reliable energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company is committed to creating a sustainable future by providing its electricity from renewable sources; modernizing natural gas pipelines; accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles; supporting numerous non-profit partners; and investing in innovative technologies to ensure the reliable operation of the region’s infrastructure for generations to come. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra  (NYSE: SRE). For more information, visit SDGEnews.com or connect with SDG&E on Twitter (@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE), and Facebook.