Nicor Gas' Simas 'Simon' Varnas recognized for ensuring safety of Rolling Meadows resident
When you smell gas, the first thing to do to remain safe is call the gas company. One of Nicor Gas' customers in Rolling Meadows did just that when he smelled fumes at his home. Operations Mechanic Simas "Simon" Varnas was the first respondent.
"The customer reported a smell in his home but the odor was not consistent with the rotten egg odor of natural gas," Simon noted. "I learned that Public Works had been there investigating a gas smell down the block. I opened a sewer manhole cover at the end of the customer's driveway and was overwhelmed with the smell of gasoline."
Simon pulled from his 24-years' experience and knew that he should act fast. "I called my supervisor and shared that I wanted to call 911. She said she would support my decision."
When the fire department arrived on the scene, they discovered that the underground gasoline storage tank from that nearby gas station was leaking into the town sewer system.
After helping the fire department open several manhole covers and sewer cleanout caps, they encountered more gasoline fumes. The fire department injected clear water into the sewer system to clear the gasoline from the system.
"I drove by the scene 24 hours later and the fire department was still sending water through there. The EPA was on site and the gas station was shut down," Simon added. "Safety first is always important. I figured that I needed to be thorough. When I opened that manhole cover, I knew I had to call 911."
For his quick action and putting safety first, Simon recently received a Nicor Gas Safety First Value Coin.
"I really feel that Simon went above and beyond in this situation. Simon played a significant role at this location and got other emergency responders involved to assist. Even though it was not a natural gas leak, it was still a community problem, so Simon took action using the training he learned at Nicor Gas," said Laura Peska, Simon's supervisor.
Congratulations, Simon!