Gas Leak Evacuation and Household Accountability Plan

If you smell gas or suspect a leak, get everyone outside immediately without creating a spark. Do not operate lights, appliances, phones, garage doors, or other electrical switches inside. From a safe location, call 911 or the gas utility's emergency number, account for residents and pets, and stay out until responders say reentry is safe.

Make evacuation the first action

A gas odor is not the moment to search for the source, finish cooking, open every window, or post a long message. Treat it as an emergency evacuation. Warn people with your voice as you leave. Use the nearest safe exit, avoid flames and smoking, and do not start a vehicle near the suspected leak. If someone cannot evacuate without help, use the assistance method agreed in advance, but nobody should remain inside for a search that puts more people at risk.

Natural gas emergency instructions vary by utility and building. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's leak guidance tells people to leave the area, avoid flames, electrical switches, and phones near a suspected leak, and call 911 from a safe location. Wherever you live, save the verified local utility emergency number in the household plan before an incident and call 911 for an immediate danger.

Do not close a gas valve unless the utility or emergency plan specifically directs an authorized person to do so. The wrong valve, a stuck control, or an attempt made inside the hazard area can add risk. Leave diagnosis and repair to responders and qualified gas professionals.

Account for people without delaying anyone

Choose an outdoor meeting point that is away from the building and not across a dangerous road. It must not block fire apparatus or utility crews. The accountability lead brings no clipboard from inside. Once outside, that person starts with the current resident list and asks each person to state whether they saw anyone else leave.

Use three statuses: confirmed outside, known away, and unconfirmed. "Probably at work" is not confirmation. Call or text an unconfirmed person only after you are safely away. Tell responders immediately if someone may still be inside, including their likely location and any mobility or communication need that the person consented to share. Do not go back to check.

Visitors and service workers count too. Add guests to the plan when practical, and tell a late arrival not to enter. Pets belong in the accountability list, but a missing pet does not justify reentry. Give responders the last known location and follow their directions.

HomeCo's shared-home emergency contact and safety plan offers a broader framework for exits, contacts, and meeting points. Keep the gas plan shorter: leave, meet, count, call, wait.

Design a plan that works offline

Post a small printed card near normal exits, not beside a gas appliance that someone would approach during a leak. Include the property address, outdoor meeting point, 911, the verified utility number, and the no-switch rule. Every resident should be able to describe the meeting point without opening an app.

Assign roles as backups, not barriers. Any resident may call 911. The first safe person at the meeting point becomes accountability lead until relieved. Another resident can keep approaching people away from the property. Nobody waits for the designated lead before leaving.

Practice as a walk-through without simulating odor or touching equipment. Test whether everyone can reach the point, whether nighttime exits are usable, and whether visual or tactile alerts are needed. Update the resident list immediately after a move-in or move-out. Store only necessary accessibility information and obtain consent.

Close the incident carefully

Remain outside until the fire department, utility, or other responsible authority says the building is safe to enter. A fading smell, silent alarm, or housemate's opinion is not clearance. Ask who controls repair, when service may resume, and whether appliances require inspection or relighting by a professional.

In HomeCo, record the incident time, call time, case number, accountability result, official clearance, and open repair tasks. Do not post alarm codes, medical records, or speculative blame. Assign follow-up for landlord notice, repair access, lodging costs, and plan review. The record should support a clean handoff, not invite residents to investigate a live gas system.

FAQ

Should we use a phone while leaving?

No. Avoid operating a phone inside the suspected leak area. Call from outside and away from the building.

What if one housemate is unconfirmed?

Tell responders the person's name, likely location, and relevant consented access need. Try contacting the person from safety, but never reenter to search.

Can we return when the odor is gone?

No. Wait for explicit clearance from the responsible emergency or utility authority, then follow any repair and appliance instructions they provide.