Twenty-two year IBEW member Scott Gilliland.
It was business as usual the morning that, Scott Gilliland, a Gas Damage Prevention Serviceman for NV Energy, began making his rounds in an older neighborhood of Sparks.
Gilliland, a 22-year member of IBEW 1245, was checking for leaks in older gas meters. When he detected something at a home on L Street, he decided to knock on the door and check on the customer.
According to Gilliland, he made his presence known as a courtesy to the customer, but something told him to go inside the home and check a little further. The customer, an 88-year-old woman, allowed Gilliland inside (after checking for proper identification), where he found a gas leak. Gilliland advised the customer to open her doors and windows and to immediately leave the house. At this point, he had no alternative but to red-tag her gas service and turn it off.
“These older homes in Sparks are notorious for the fact that the gas service and water pipes are underneath a concrete slab foundation,” Gilliland said. “And the source of the leak wasn’t readily apparent.”
Gilliland suggested the customer call Community Relations department to help provide her with information about some resources to get her gas service repaired and to possibly get her furnace replaced. With assistance from NV Energy, the customer got her gas service repaired by the insurance company and got the faulty furnace replaced courtesy of the Nevada Rural Housing Authority.
Gilliland stopped by several times throughout the repair and furnace replacement process to check on the woman.
Now that’s service.
Adapted from a story prepared by NV Energy.