(Jersey City, N.J. – Dec. 4, 2024) PSE&G is focused on maintaining a safe gas distribution system. As part of our efforts, today we partnered with first responders from Jersey City, New Jersey in a safety exercise that simulated a gas emergency.

The three-hour exercise allowed PSE&G and other safety professionals to practice keeping the public safe in the event of damage to natural gas equipment leading to the shutdown of a light rail segment. The exercise, on Hoboken Avenue in Jersey City, also provided the opportunity to test incident command and evacuation procedures.

"We’re often in situations where gas leak repairs impact traffic and we plan, train and work to minimize what’s felt by the public," said Beth Acquaire, PSE&G senior director, Gas Field Operations. "Keeping our communities, customers and employees safe is a top priority and these exercises help us protect lives and reduce interruptions by enhancing our emergency response, our coordination and our partnerships.”

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the safety of Jersey City residents is top priority and multiagency safety exercises better equip everyone involved for actual emergencies. “PSE&G is a terrific partner, and I commend them for planning ahead to ensure that our first responders work in a coordinated and effective manner to protect our communities. Proactive training and clearly defining communication protocols and responders' roles are absolutely essential during moments of crisis."

Training is valuable
Training with first responders is important because some procedures for handling natural gas are different from those they are used to. For example, the evacuation distance is farther for a gas emergency, turning off power may not be possible, and automatic generators or solar panels can be potential sources of ignition.

Exercise participants and observers included representatives from: PSE&G, Jersey City Division of Fire, Jersey City Division of Police and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.

This event marks PSE&G’s seventh gas safety exercise this year. These safety exercises and training initiatives are part of ongoing efforts to educate community members within PSE&G’s service area about emergency preparedness.

Important reminder about Call 811
Safety exercises are an opportunity to remind the public what they can do to help prevent gas emergencies and what to do if you smell gas.

Customers, the public and contractors should know that the law requires a markout before digging to help keep underground equipment safe. Even digging for small projects like to plant a tree or mailbox, can be hazardous. Digging without a markout presents significant risk to the excavator, our communities and natural gas infrastructure. The best way to prevent emergencies caused by digging is simple – always abide by markout laws.

Last year, we responded to 853 calls concerning excavation damages (736 gas and 117 electric). We respond to 99.9 percent of gas emergency calls within one hour. Many of these leaks are avoidable with a simple call to 811. Digging without knowledge of the location of underground utilities can result in serious injuries, service disruptions and costly repairs.

Customer gas safety tips

Prevention is key:

• Call 811 at least three and no more than 10 business days before each job to have underground pipes, conduits, wires and cables located and marked. Markouts remain valid for 45 business days.
• Before work begins by excavators, contractors or customers, confirm that a call to 811 has been made and the markout was completed. By law, all digging projects require a call to 811.
• Both property owners and contractors must maintain and respect the marks. Always hand dig within 2 feet of marked lines, or the area known as the Tolerance Zone, to find the existing facility.
• Various colors are used when marking lines; to learn what each color represents, visit https://www.nj1-call.org/resources/faqs/#color.

What to do if you smell gas:

• Leave the building as quickly as possible and move 350 feet away from the structure. Take all others with you. If you smell gas outside, move well away from where you suspect the gas is leaking. 
• Call 911 immediately and call PSE&G at 1-800-880-PSEG (7734). (Do NOT call from inside the building. Wait until you are outside and a safe distance to call).

Learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable.
• More information about carbon monoxide and other gas safety tips are available on our website.

More information about 811 are available at nj1-call.org or on the PSE&G website: pseg.com/safedigging. #Call811  #CallBeforeYouDig  #PSEGSafety

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PSE&G
Public Service Electric & Gas Co. is New Jersey’s oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, as well as one of the nation’s largest utilities. PSE&G has won the ReliabilityOne® Award for superior electric system reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region for 23 consecutive years. For the third consecutive year, PSE&G is the recipient of the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in the Energy Efficiency Program Delivery category. In addition, in 2023 J.D. Power named PSE&G number one in customer satisfaction with residential and business electric service in the east among large utilities. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a predominantly regulated infrastructure company focused on a clean energy future and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 16 consecutive years (www.pseg.com).

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