Sierra Club member tells committee gas leaks strain Richmond Fire Department resources

Lee Williams, advocacy chair for the Sierra Club’s Falls of the James Group, told the Public Safety Standing Committee during public comment that volunteers have catalogued city gas‑leak responses and that the incidents impose a financial and operational burden on Richmond Fire Department resources.

Williams said the group began using instruments and the PulsePoint mobile app in 2023 to locate suspected gas leaks and then cataloged responses after consulting with Richmond Fire Department hazmat personnel. He said the group has been documenting locations and response activity.

Williams reported that, from Jan. 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, the group’s records show 3,946 vehicles were deployed by the Richmond Fire Department and that "personnel deployed [were] roughly 12,217 in a 1 year period," and he left printed copies of the map and data with committee members. He described the figures as information the committee could use during the budget process to understand the response burden.

Williams said the group used PulsePoint and 911 alert data to gather incidents and that a map of the locations (he provided copies to the committee) showed many overlapping points when the full year was plotted. He offered to provide further information and answered a brief question about environmental impacts, saying the presentation that day was a "3‑minute version" and that the group has additional data on environmental and public‑health effects.

Ending Williams concluded by providing copies of the map and related material to the committee for its use in budgeting and planning.