Trainings help Shell station employees put out blaze

May 13 was a regular working day for Billy Dela Cruz, Robert Mendiola, Patsy Isaac, and Ron Ealy, who all work at the Shell Gualo Rai Station, which is operated by Delta Management Saipan.

Dela Cruz, a gas attendant, recounted that he was halfway through his five-hour shift when, at 7:10pm, he noticed flames licking the underside of a silver Ford Taurus that had just finished gassing up.

Dela Cruz said the engine blaze that broke out was caused by electrical short circuit.

“It just started to come on fire after a male customer finished gassing up the car,” recalled Dela Cruz, who called 911 and pressed the emergency gas pump as his co-worker Ealy, also a gas attendant, raced to get a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. They eventually needed four fire extinguishers to fully quench the blaze.

By the time the Fire Department arrived some 20 minutes later, Dela Cruz said they had already extinguished the fire.

The vehicle was moved off the premises and the service station was shut down for a two-hour cleanup before being reopened to the public.

Dela Cruz said it was his first time to be in a situation when he had to use all the skills he learned from the various trainings he had attended when he started working for Shell.

“I was nervous the whole time but you have to have presence of mind,” he told Saipan Tribune. “We had to get rid of the car to avoid any explosion.”

Delta Management president Jim Arenovski, who was called to the scene by the four-member team, said they are extremely proud of their staff and their quick action to avert a potentially serious fire.

“Safety is a cornerstone of our operations and we conduct safety training on a regular basis for all of our staff,” he said.

IP&E, the Shell licensee on Saipan, held an appreciation luncheon for the four employees at the Fiesta Resort & Spa last June 15 in recognition of their exemplary efforts.

Eloy Lizama, chief operating officer, praised the employees for their quick action and safety consciousness.

“IP&E is committed to a culture of safety. We understand what to do in the case of an emergency and are always looking for new ways to make the workplace safer,” he said.

IP&E CNMI area manager Jeff Boyer said that Shell staff are well-trained in handling situations like this as they attend trainings and refresher courses.

“We have the right people and certainly the trainings are there. They responded appropriately. As far as our customers are concerned, we certainly stand by our people to handle this kind of situation,” he said.