Pipeline Information and Training Portal for First Responders

February 10, 2015

Source: TransCanada

The Industry Emergency Response Portal, which was created through collaboration between the American Petroleum Institute, the Association of Oil Pipelines, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the National Volunteer Fire Council, along with Shell and TransCanada, provides links to information on pipelines and training on dealing with pipeline emergencies.

"The Industry Emergency Response Portal represents the next generation of pipeline safety training available to emergency responders and firefighters," said Vern Meier, TransCanada's vice president, pipeline safety & compliance. "In areas where you have a number of pipelines in service, it can be a real challenge for first responders to know how many lines there are, who operates them and who to contact if there's an incident. This portal will help all of us have a unified approach and a consistent response before, during and after any incidents, and we are proud to be collaborating in it."

After test-driving the portal, Dep. Chief Goldfeder, Loveland-Symmes Fire Department in Loveland, OH, was convinced. "This needs to be on every first responder's iPad or iPhone or smart phone or whatever, and any chief who's out there needs to get involved in this program," he says. "It's a piece of cake to use."

Access the Pipeline Emergency Response Training at http://nasfm-training.org/pipeline/.