San Quentin inmates and staff credited for tanker spill response

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- Officials credit the inmates and staff members of the San Quentin Prison Fire Department for their response to this week's gasoline tanker crash.

That tanker overturned along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard near the prison on Monday morning. The San Quentin crew arrived within minutes.

The Marin Independent Journal reports the mixed crew of prison staff and minimum-security inmates took steps to stop the flow of leaking gasoline. That included using dirt to dam the fuel before it could reach nearby homes and the bay.