Local Fire Safety Savant Larry Stone Spearheads First Responder Training After LA’s Recent Fiery Calamity
by Richard Luthmann
Larry Stone, a seasoned safety expert from the Fort Myers area, is making waves across municipalities. Stone’s expertise is in high demand after a catastrophic natural gas explosion in Los Angeles. Th is retired firefighter and police officer, with a decade of experience training first responders from Florida to Maine, is on a mission. His goal is to educate on the dangers of natural gas, emphasizing the risks to firefighters and police officers who are often first on the scene.
Stone’s message is clear: proper education on natural gas hazards is critical for all first responders.
“Fire safety should be a lifestyle, not an afterthought,” Stone says.
His efforts caught the attention of Chevron Oil Company, leading to an invitation to California. There, he will conduct safety training sessions for Los Angeles’s first responders to prevent future tragedies.
A recent Wilmington, Los Angeles near-tragedy highlighted the need for such specialized training. A semitruck powered by compressed natural gas exploded, injuring nine firefighters. The blast occurred as they attempted to extinguish the truck fire, unaware of the vehicle’s fuel source. This incident has sparked an investigation into the cause and raised questions about the visibility of fuel-type indicators on such cars.
Interviewed by the LA Times in the explosion’s aftermath, Stone knew what likely caused the mishap. “The pressure relief device failed to work, or the firefighters were cooling the very device that would have prevented the explosion,” he said.
Compressed natural gas vehicles, while not inherently more dangerous than gasoline-powered ones, present unique challenges during emergencies. The high-pressure storage of natural gas and the potential for valve failures require specific firefighting tactics. Unfortunately, during the Wilmington explosion, the pressure relief device either malfunctioned or was inadvertently cooled by firefighting efforts, leading to the blast.
This explosion not only injured firefighters but also underscored the critical need for awareness and preparedness among first responders. Stone’s training provides essential knowledge, potentially saving lives and preventing future accidents. His work emphasizes the importance of recognizing and adequately responding to the unique dangers of compressed natural gas vehicles.
Stone’s initiative reflects a broader concern within the firefighting community. Rare as they may be, incidents involving compressed natural gas demand attention and preparation. With the rising use of such vehicles across the country, the lessons from the Los Angeles explosion and Stone’s subsequent training efforts could not be timelier. As municipalities enlist his expertise, there is hope that first responders will be better equipped to face these challenges head-on, ensuring the public’s and themselves’ safety.
When he’s not educating first responders and the public on best practices in fire safety, Larry is the Business Development Manager for Ram Restoration USA in Fort Myers.
