Distribution: The Heroes of P.G.W.

For ten years, I worked side by side with the men and women of the Philadelphia Gas Works Distribution Department. Every autumn, I would anticipate the dark chill of winter and the endless nights of chasing gas leaks and potential emergencies. In an effort to maintain a high level of public safety, many distribution workers would demonstrate heroic qualities not usually associated with the utility workers. In the city of Philadelphia, there are 3,000 miles of …

…my co-workers as heroes, but that evening in January changed my view forever. Everyone there that night was in a life-threatening situation. One spark would have leveled those homes and probably taken some of us with them. All of us felt fear, but not one ran away. People's lives and property were saved that night because of the heroism displayed by the men and women of the Distribution Department. The heroes of P.G.W.!