At 10:57 A.M. on Thursday morning, Fire Associates was alerted by the San Jose Fire Dept. to stand by for a possible response to a gas leak near downtown. And, at 11:41 A.M. the request came in. Bruce Dembecki responded in Fire Support Unit 2 while FASCV President, John Whitaker, went to a nearby restaurant to pick up a lunchtime food order. They were met on scene by FASCV members George Hoyt, Herman DeKruyff, Ron Green, Dan Wong and Bob Gundrum.
Leaking natural gas had been detected seeping from underground in the street outside San Jose Unified's Gardner Academy. With the leak detected at 722 Willis Ave., near West Virginia Street, the incident was adjacent to the school property. Once on scene, FSU-2 was set up on W. Virginia Street and prepared to serve 45 burritos that had been ordered for the firefighters. The lunch order arrived just as PG&E pinched off the 2-inch gas line. Firefighters remained on scene to finish their meal, and then were placed in service shortly after 1:00 P.M.
- Bruce Dembecki's photos can be viewed at: San Jose Gas Leak
- A SJ Mercury News story on the incident can be read at: School Evacuated
