Emergency Response – First Responder Training Strategy

Training opportunities and materials for first responders and other emergency-oriented organizations are available on liquid and gas transmission and distribution systems through each of the pipeline companies and utilities.  They have many common features and each focuses on the type of emergency situation where their product would be involved.   

The industry uses these materials to provide workshop sessions for First Responders, emergency managers, other organizations and communities.  In addition to training materials and workshops, table top response exercises and drills are conducted on a periodic basis usually under the auspices of the Department of Ecology spill prevention and response programs.

The industry and local government organizations reported inconsistent participation by first responders and other affected parties in training workshops, table tops exercises and drills.  Exercises were often poorly attended for a variety of reasons including scheduling, lack of resources, understanding of role and higher priorities.

In 2001 the Washington legislature, as part of their pipeline safety legislation, charged the Office of the State Fire Marshall to develop emergency response training materials specifically for First Responders.  An excellent set of training materials including a comprehensive Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline Emergency Response Guidebook was developed with industry cooperation.  While funds for development were available, funds for publication, distribution and most importantly training of First Responders have been scarce.  To our knowledge, a First Responder training strategy and delivery plan has not yet been fully developed.

Opportunity

We believe that the First Responder Pipeline Emergency Response stakeholders are willing to participate in the development of a workable training strategy and delivery plan.  Roundtable Associates can provide organization, facilitation and support services to such an effort as part of our WUTC pipeline safety contract.

Using as a base the training materials developed jointly by the Office of the State Fire Marshall and the Pipeline industry, a consensus-based strategy and delivery plan will be developed and include:

•          Benefits of implementation of First Responder training

•          Essential elements of an effective First Responder Pipeline Emergency training program

•          Obstacles to delivery of such a training program

•          Strategy to overcome the obstacles

•          Roles, responsibilities and commitments

•          Detailed delivery plan including timetable

•          Strategy to provide resources and funds for implementation

The process for development of this strategy and plan will include 2 to 4 ½-day facilitated sessions with the following participants:

•          Office of the State Fire Marshall (Steve Kalmbach, Ron Bowen, Bob Barnard)

•          Washington Association of Fire Chiefs (Duane Malo)

•          Olympic/Williams/PG&E Pipeline Company (Jim Clark, Grant Jensen, Dave Young, Mike Wolfe)

•          Puget Sound Energy/Avista (Duane Henderson, Michael Faulkenberry)

•          Local Emergency Planning Councils (Mark Ligman)

•          Local Government Consortium - Fire/Emergency Management (Bill Boyd, Brian Felczak, John Carpenter)

The plan will be presented for concurrence by other stakeholders as identified during plan development.  The training delivery plan has been proposed as the focus of the First Responder/Emergency Response workshop at the November 13, 2003 Consortium Pipeline Safety Conference.