Pacific Gas and Electric : PG&E Provides Bakersfield Fire Department with Rare Training Opportunity

On November 11 and 12, the Bakersfield Fire Department firefighters got a rare opportunity to practice lifesaving skills at PG&E's property at 800 20 Street in Bakersfield.

Firefighters practiced a variety of training exercises in the former commercial building, including breaching the building, ventilation tactics, search and rescue drills, and firefighter survival. Although training on existing commercial buildings provides firefighters with realistic training opportunities, these trainings are hard to come by.

PG&E plans to take down the outdated building in the next few months to faciltate enviromental cleanup work. When Bakersfield Fire Department Deputy Chief Kevin Albertson learned of the planned work from PG&E's stakeholder engagement team's outreach efforts, he requested this training prior to the demolition. "Existing buildings like this one provide our first responders with incredibly valuable experience," said Deputy Chief Albertson. "Many of the firefighters have never operated on a commercial structure before and opportunities like this don't happen very often. This training was a great success and the firefighters loved it."

PG&E jumped at the opportunity to provide this training opportunity to the local firefighters. "We are committed to helping the communities we live and work in," said PG&E Project Manager Ken Simas. "We are thrilled that we could offer such a valuable opportunity for local firefighters. We hope they gained knowledge and skills that they can put to use to better serve the Bakersfield community."

Firefighters practiced breaching and ventilation tactics on the commercial building.

PG&E is currently in the process of preparing the former Bakersfield manufactured gas plant for future cleanup work, including clearing the site . The cleanup work will address residues from the former MGP that are buried underground. Cleanup work is anticipated to begin in 2024 or 2025 and will provide long-term protection of public health and the environment while readying the property for future development opportunities.