Firefighters Force Entry, Save Life During Gas Leak In Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The Mount Tabor Volunteer Fire Department had to break down a door to rescue someone during a gas leak Tuesday in Parsippany. The resident fell asleep on the couch, and it could've ended far worse if a neighbor didn't call 911, officials said.

Mount Tabor firefighters were dispatched at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday to Force Place. A neighbor called about a strong odor of gas coming from a nearby home.

Officials detected natural gas from a home a block away. They determined it came from inside a house, but the resident remained asleep on the couch. Neither knocking nor honking trunk horns woke them up.

So firefighters forced entry and removed the resident from the home. They placed them in the care of Par-Troy EMS, and officials took them to the hospital for an evaluation.

Officials determined the cause as a stovetop burner left on accidentally, Chief Bryan M. Crawford told Patch. The Parsippany Rescue and Recovery Unit boarded up the home.

"This was another 'routine' call that could’ve had a far worse result had it not been for the 911 call made by a neighbor," Mount Tabor FD wrote on Facebook. "It doesn’t matter how significant or insignificant it may seem, you should always call 911 if you suspect there is an emergency."

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