Monday Morning Hazmat Call at Stop & Shop

The Franklin Fire Department was dispatched to 40 Franklin Village Drive, the Stop & Shop store,  for a report of a possible refrigerant leak at 9:33am.  According to Deputy Chief Joseph Barbieri, Engine 2 and Battalion 1 responded to the original call. Subsequently, Engine 1 and Ambulance 2 were dispatched to assist. The business was evacuated as a precaution and remained closed to the public until we cleared the scene at 1:58pm .
The regional Hazmat team from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services also responded to assist treating the event as a "Tier 1" response.

Caroline Medeiros, spokesperson for Stop & Shop headquarters, said "Stop & Shop experienced a refrigeration leak at our store at 40 Franklin Village Drive in Franklin, Mass., this morning. Out of an abundance of caution, the store was evacuated, and we worked with the Franklin Fire Department and health officials to investigate the issue. After concluding the investigation, safety officials approved the opening of the store as safe, and the store is now reopened."

Barbieri said at first it was not known what the specific refrigerant was and first responders had limited information at first [Some large  commercial refrigeration systems use highly-toxic ammonina]. "The response was initiated based on our training, guidance from the state, and an abundance of caution. It ended up being a commonly used refrigerant and not ammonia," he said. And, he added, every chemical has a potential to be hazardous "and we evaluate each situation."

According to Barbieri the refrigeration unit was shut off and was ventilated. "This was an isolated incident to one unit and repair technicians arrived on site," he said.

Photograph courtesy of Franklin Fire Department