East Lake Firefighters Prepare For Propane Emergencies

Propane emergency training is in full swing for East Lake and other North Pinellas firefighters.

Fire crews from East Lake, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Palm Harbor and Oldsmar are spending a four-hour continuing education class learning the ins and outs of propane: its characteristics, how it ignites, how it's stored and how to react to emergency situations such as leaks and explosions, said Erich Thiemann, Dunedin's division chief of training.

The training sessions are running in three-day intervals at the Dunedin Community Center. The first sessions ran Sept. 4-6. They begin again Sept. 10-12.

The "Propane Emergency Response" course is funded through the Florida Propane Gas Association Education and Research Council. 

In the past year, Instructor Carl Weeks has taught 113 courses and more than 1,200 firefighters, he said.