Press Release
UNITIL TO HOST FIRST JOINT GAS SAFETY TRAINING JUNE 15 & 16
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Will Improve Emergency Response and Public Safety Collaboration
HAMPTON, N.H., June 11, 2010 - Unitil Corporation (NYSE: UTL), a natural gas and electric delivery company
with residential and business customers throughout New England, today announces it will conduct New Hampshire's first joint gas
safety training seminar on June 15 - 16, 2010 at the company's live gas simulation facility in Portsmouth. The training seminars
will educate Unitil employees and members of the Portsmouth Fire Department on efforts to properly handle a variety of gas-related
incidents and better protect public safety during a gas emergency.
"Working with the Portsmouth Fire Department is essential to continually improve our emergency response
capabilities," said Chris LeBlanc, gas operations director for Unitil. "We look forward to collaborating with other emergency response
officials in other towns in our service territory to ensure the continued safe and efficient delivery of natural gas to customers in
New Hampshire and Maine."
Each day a group of participants from both Unitil and the Portsmouth Fire Department will work side-by-side
in the training. Morning classroom sessions will focus on a variety of safety and procedural topics including natural gas properties,
static electricity, and protocols for handling blowing gas in an emergency among others. Afternoon sessions will simulate a live blowing
gas environment during which the Unitil employees and fire fighters will work together to complete emergency response exercises in
Unitil's state-of-the-art training facility.
During the scenarios, Unitil employees will utilize Level One and Two FR clothing and the most technologically
advanced breathing apparatus available. The Flash Fire rated suits are custom fit and insulated to protect workers from the risk of
ignition and heat intensity exposure in a gas blowing emergency; Level Two suits employ some of the highest insulation values available
to date. The FR clothing also includes high visibility reflective strips to further increase worker safety. The company recently equipped
all of its natural gas line workers with this state-of-the art equipment to ensure their safety.
Though not code mandated, Unitil's internal standards require the utility to conduct gas safety training twice
each year to ensure the safety of its employees and customers. The upcoming sessions, provided to the Portsmouth Fire Department free of
charge, are the first the company has offered externally. Unitil expects to introduce the program throughout its service areas in both New
Hampshire and Maine starting with additional sessions later this year.
About Unitil Corporation
Unitil provides the necessities of life, safely and reliably delivering natural gas and electricity throughout New England.
We are committed to the communities we serve and to developing people, business practices, and technologies that lead to
dependable, more efficient energy. Unitil is a public utility holding company with affiliates that include Unitil Energy
Systems, Inc., Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company, Northern Utilities, Inc., and Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc.
Other subsidiaries include Unitil Service Corp. and its non-regulated business segment doing business as Usource. For more
information about our people, technologies, and community involvement please visit www.unitil.com.
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For more information please contact:
Carol Valianti
Vice President, Communication and Public Affairs
Unitil Corporation
valianti@unitil.com
Ph: 603-773-6447
Fax: 603-773-6647