Burning house saved by Grand Gulf Nuclear Station employee

03/02/2023

William Zimmerman was driving to his job at Grand Gulf when he saw a house on fire. His quick, safe actions saved it from total ruin.

William Zimmerman’s experience on plant’s fire brigade helps save Claiborne County home

PORT GIBSON, Miss. – William Zimmerman was driving to work when he noticed flames coming through the roof of a house. Luckily for the family who lives there, William, an Entergy Nuclear procedure writer, was previously on the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station fire brigade and knew exactly how to act.

“I stopped and looked inside the windows and beat on all the doors and was yelling to see if anyone might be in there,” said Zimmerman. “I was worried they could be unconscious. I had never driven by a house on fire without firefighters already there. I had to stop and make sure everyone was safe. Another lady stopped at the same time I did. I asked her to call 911 so I could check out the house.”

While he was contemplating going in to check for anyone who may be unable to respond, the next-door neighbor came out of her house. She was the mother of one of the homeowners and assured Zimmerman no one was inside. Fortunately, the family was out of town.

Once it was confirmed that the house was empty, Zimmerman acted quickly to help prep the house for the firefighters’ arrival.

“I didn’t open any doors or windows, which would just feed the fire and could result in an explosion of unburnt gasses,” Zimmerman said.” I turned the breaker off and pulled the meter out of the base before the fire department got there. I know that energized power lines and fire water do not mix.”

“Once the Port Gibson Fire Department showed up, they also confirmed no one was in the house,” he continued. “I notified them that I pulled the power meter out and told them where I thought the fire started. They broke down the door and went in with their hoses.”

Although Zimmerman is humble when asked, it is possible he saved 90% of the house. With his quick thinking and commitment to safety, the firefighters were able to get into the house and put out the fire more quickly. Because of his previous training with the fire brigade, he was able to safely jump into action.

“I’m so grateful to work with people like William who are alert in unsafe situations and take action to help others,” said Grant Flynn, general manager of plant operations at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. “This is a tremendous example of the quality and character of the people who work at Grand Gulf.”

Zimmerman joined Grand Gulf as a procedure writer in 2016. He formerly worked as an operator at the plant from 1993 to 2003.

About Entergy

Entergy, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,000 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. Learn more at entergy-nuclear.com and follow @EntergyNuclear on Twitter. #WePowerLife

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