Trillium’s partnership with New York City Fire Department ensures safety of CNG stations

Trillium's successful partnership with the New York City Transit and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bus Company is important because more than 350,000 people in New York City rely on compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to get around. That wouldn't be possible without four major CNG stations owned by the MTA/NYCT, which Trillium operates in the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn areas.

Trillium's success in New York City, however, goes beyond fueling 750 buses in the country's biggest city. The team's ability to collaborate with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) to ensure safety is of the utmost importance underlines Love's commitment to support the communities in which we live and work as Great People Who Care.

"Trillium conducts annual familiarization sessions with the local fire department battalion houses located close to all of the CNG stations we operate for the MTA and NYC Transit," said Trillium CNG Northeast Divisional Manager Joe Pazmino.

Trillium CNG stations are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by the Trillium team, and although the stations are automated, fire fighters at the local battalion houses are most likely the first on the scene in the event an emergency occurs at one of our CNG sites.

"Our team will most likely address situations remotely and dispatch a mechanic if there is an issue, but our annual familiarization trainings gives the fire fighters a sense of security and knowledge of what to do if and when they have to respond to an on-site situation," Pazmino said. "It also gives our team security because when the fire fighters arrive, we know they know exactly what to do."

During a training session, the Trillium team takes fire fighters on a full tour of the stations and explain what to do in case they have to respond to an emergency.

"The fire fighters, which includes chiefs, captains and lieutenants, get a walkthrough of the entire CNG station and learn about the process of how natural gas comes in, where the safety devices are and what they are expected to do when they arrive on site," Pazmino said. "We give them a process of exactly what we do, a high-level overview of how the operation flows, how buses are fueled and what the MTA does to ensure safety devices are working on the buses."

The FDNY has benefitted a lot from these training sessions and continuously show their gratitude for the Trillium team, often sending thank-you notes after sessions.

"When we did our training in the Bronx, one of the facility managers for the MTA approached me and said he overheard a fire fighter express how pleased and excited he was about what the Trillium team had taught them because it made him feel secure walking into a CNG station," Pazmino said. "He had no idea how to respond to a CNG alarm or emergency. It's just a big unknown for fire fighters, but these trainings have provided a lot of knowledge that will help keep New York City running and ensure everyone is safe. The safe operation of these sites cannot happen without the great job and daily efforts of our field mechanics and dispatch team in our Houston office."