The scene was surreal: One moment, Shane Richardson, a pressure and measurement foreman at Oklahoma Natural Gas, was driving down on Highway 75 North on his way to a routine check. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an SUV laying on its side—then saw people sprawled in a nearby field.
Richardson’s training kicked in, and he didn’t hesitate as he pulled his truck over and raced to the scene. His mind started to assess the danger: Not only were a woman and a child lying injured in the field, but a severely injured man was partially ejected from the sunroof of the SUV. And flames were starting to lick around the vehicle’s engine.
Another passerby, Sean Sullivan, had stopped to help and was calling 911. Richardson immediately ran back to his truck to grab his fire extinguisher. “It was actually the first time I had to use the fire extinguisher in my car,” said Richardson, who has worked for Oklahoma Natural Gas for more than 27 years and has served as a volunteer firefighter for more than 17 years.
As Richardson fought the fire, Sullivan was able to carefully move the injured man away from the burning car. It was just in time—the vehicle was engulfed just moments later.
By that time, the Owasso and Tulsa fire departments had arrived at the scene, putting out the flames and tending to the injured passengers. Richardson heard later that all three were treated at a nearby hospital and were doing fine.
For Richardson, his training helped him respond automatically. He said Oklahoma Natural Gas continually stresses that safety comes first. The utility also ensures employees inspect fire extinguishing equipment to confirm it is always operational. But even more, the utility encourages employees to go above and beyond to serve its customers.
“It’s just what we do,” Richardson said. “You see something, you respond. We try to live those values. I don’t like the spotlight … but it gives me a good feeling inside knowing I’m helping someone else.”