Commissioner Honors First Responders for Preventing Potential Disaster

(l-r): Federal Realty Investment Trust Asset Management Director Michael Kelleher, Commissioner Steven L. Abrams, Lt. Todd Baer (Sheriff's Office), Deputy Building Official Richard Gathright (Building Division) and Battalion Chief Mark Anderson (Fire Rescue).

(l-r): Federal Realty Investment Trust Asset Management Director Michael Kelleher, Commissioner Steven L. Abrams, Lt. Todd Baer (Sheriff's Office), Deputy Building Official Richard Gathright (Building Division) and Battalion Chief Mark Anderson (Fire Rescue).

Commissioner Steven Abrams joined local business owners today to recognize Palm Beach County’s first responders from Fire Rescue, the Sheriff’s Office and the Building Department for their efforts in avoiding a potential disaster after a gas leak.  The incident took place on June 5, 2011 at the Del Mar Village Shopping Center in Boca Raton.     

On behalf of the shopping center’s owners and retailers, Federal Realty Investment Trust Asset Management organized this event to publicly express gratitude for the professionalism and expertise exhibited by the first responders and employees under such extreme conditions.

“This could have been a disaster, and I am proud to recognize the employees from the county’s Building Division, Fire Rescue Department and the Sheriff’s Office,” said Abrams.  “We have an extremely talented workforce here in Palm Beach County,” he added.

What started as a small kitchen fire inside a crowded Sweet Tomatoes restaurant the evening of June 5 turned out to be more than what first responders expected. When the fire kept re-igniting they knew something else was going on.  After at least four mini explosions inside a back wall of the restaurant, it was determined that propane gas was making its way into the building from an unknown underground source.  Fire, special operation/hazmat crews and deputies remained on the scene for more than 31 hours until a leaking underground propane tank was safely removed, ending the gas leak mystery.  The 20-year old tank still contained gas and had been leaking through a rusted area on its bottom surface.  A major explosion could have occurred if the leak hadn’t been detected.