CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO OF NEW YORK

Incident Narrative

ON FRIDAY MARCH 23, 2012 AT 03:03 THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF NEW YORK CITY (FDNY) REPORTED A TWO ALARM FIRE AT 529 WEST 217 STREET TO THE GAS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER (GERC). THE GERC NOTIFIED SUPERVISION AND DISPATCHED GAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES (GDS). WHILE GDS WAS ENROUTE THE FDNY CALLED BACK AT 03:15 AND STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS GAS FED. A CODE MURRE WAS INITIATED AND THE GERC DISPATCHED A CONSTRUCTION CREW. AT 03:19 THE FDNY CALLED THE GERC AGAIN AND REPORTED A SUBSURFACE STRUCTURE FIRE AT THE SAME LOCATION. ELECTRIC OPERATIONS WAS ASSIGNED AND UPON ARRIVAL GDS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS A HEAVY SMOKE CONDITION AT ELECTRIC SERVICE BOX 24282 IN FRONT OF 527 WEST 217 STREET BUT NO FIRE. GDS CLOSED TWO LOW PRESSURE CURB VALVES SUPPLYING # 529 AND #531 W. 217 ST. AT 04:30 CHANNEL 11 NEWS REPORTED THE FIRE MAY BE GAS RELATED AND/OR A COMBINED GAS AND ELECTRIC EVENT. AT 05:39 THE FDNY EVACUATED 3 OCCUPANTS FROM APARTMENT D-29 AT 520 W 217 ST. DUE TO 164 PPM CO READINGS IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE APARTMENT 28-D DUE TO 450 TO 700 PPM CO IN BASEMENT DIRECTLY BELOW THE APARTMENT AND VENTED THE BUILDING. THE FDNY FIRE MARSHAL RESPONDED AND THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING. THE US DOT, NYS PSC AND NYC DEP WERE NOTIFIED. THIS WAS A SERIOUS LEVEL INCIDENT.