When Columbia Gas Customer Service Tech Josh Burford responded to a call from a Frankfort customer on Feb. 3, 2023, he figured it would be a routine job.
After he pulled up to the home on Hickory Street, the customer came to his vehicle and told him she was certain she could smell natural gas inside. As he has done countless times before, Josh notified the company call center of his arrival, grabbed his tools and made his way around the side of the house to the meter setting.
“I was standing there waiting for my gauge to power up when I happened to look up and notice there was steam coming out of the vent on the roof and the windows looked dark,” Josh said. “I was standing there thinking that it was weird that the steam was rolling that way when it hit me that it wasn’t steam I was seeing, it was smoke. There were no flames visible, but I knew something wasn’t right.”
After ensuring that no one else was at the home or property, Josh directed the customer to take her child and go down the street to safety. He shut off gas to the home and called his supervisor, Frankfort Field Operations Leader Shannon Barker, telling him the fire department was needed at the scene. After making the scene as safe as he could without putting himself in danger, Josh moved his vehicle down the street to make room for fire trucks.
When the Frankfort Fire Department (FFD) arrived at the scene and opened the front door, black smoke billowed out of the home. They discovered that the smell that alarmed the customer was not natural gas but the odor of plastic melting on a dehumidifier that caught fire in the kitchen.
Although walls of the home were already blackened from the smoke, firefighters were able to save the structure.
FFD Battalion Chief Michael Felty praised Josh for being alert and aware of his surroundings, for safely getting the gas turned off and for keeping the customer safe.
“The Frankfort Fire Department would like to thank Josh for his quick actions and outstanding performance during this incident,” Felty said. “Without his help and quick thinking this home would have been a total loss.”
Josh, who received the Kentucky Gas Association’s Life Saving Effort Award on June 9, said he is just grateful the customer was safe.
“I just thank God that the customer knew enough to call to report the odor of gas, even though it wasn’t gas, and that she didn’t walk into the house because that could have caused an ignition,” he said. “I’m thankful that all the things that could have gone wrong didn’t go wrong in this case.”
Of course, Josh does not think of himself as a hero.
“It was just another day at work really,” he said. “Later, when I was doing my paperwork about the incident, I thought about how all our safety training and all the stress on paying attention to your surroundings kicks in when it really matters. When you pull up to a job, you never think to yourself that this could be the last house I walk up to, or this customer could be the last person I see. It puts things in perspective.”
Shannon said Josh’s actions at the scene reflect his “calm and collected” personality. Josh is an Army National Guard veteran who is trained in crisis response.
“One word I would use to describe Josh is steady,” he said. “He is always thoughtful and respectful and never gets too wound up, and that’s exactly what was needed in this situation. His ability to work quickly and calmly prevented a total loss of a home and maybe even loss of a life.”
