Hidden Dangers of Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing: Two Personal Stories

In this episode of Two Vollies and a Guest, hosts Jerry Knapp and Tim Pillsworth welcome Celeste Flynn and Sara Laird. Flynn and Laird share their deeply personal stories of losing their firefighter husbands to fires caused by failures in corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST), which is used in residential gas piping. They detail how lightning strikes can energize CSST, causing arc perforations and rapid, hidden fires in interstitial spaces within walls and floors. (These risks often go undetected by thermal imaging cameras.) Their firsthand experience drives a statewide push in Maryland to ban the most vulnerable CSST products, while advocating for stricter national safety standards.  Beyond educating firefighters on recognizing and mitigating these fires, Flynn and Laird discuss the challenges families face after line-of-duty deaths, including navigating complex benefits and support systems. Through their nonprofit, Phoenix Advocates, they provide free training, data collection, and family assistance nationwide.