Firefighter Training

Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program's

Oilfield Emergency Response Training Workshops

To request workshop registration information or to be added to our mailing list, please contact rreda@oogeep.org, (740) 587-0410, (740) 587-0446 fax, or write to Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program, P.O. Box 187, Granville, Ohio 43023.

Responding to Oilfield Emergencies Training Program

The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) developed a  comprehensive training manual Responding to Oilfield Emergencies and  permanent training facility to support local emergency responders (firefighters, police, state agencies, etc.) by enabling them to understand and implement effective emergency response practices at typical oilfield drilling sites and production sites.

Often, it is the front-line first response that is vital to preventing loss of life and containing property and environmental damage. The first responders to crude oil and natural gas incidents are usually local emergency response units. They are responsible for mitigating fires and other hazardous situations, ensuring the safety of personnel and property, and communicating effectively with necessary parties.

In most cases, these people are highly competent in conventional firefighting and emergency response practice, but may have no formal training or experience with the unique challenges and hazards posed by oilfield emergencies. For example, they would likely not know which procedures would prove most effective, how to contain the incident, and how to minimize personal danger. Similarly, they may know neither the types of hazardous chemicals or equipment to anticipate on site nor how to manage them safely. And most often, they would not know which parties to notify or how to contact them.

The OOGEEP training manual provides the background information and practical guidelines necessary to effectively respond to an oilfield incident in Ohio. The six chapters in the guide cover the following topics:

• Overview of Ohio's oil and gas industry
• Communicating at the emergency site
• Evaluating the emergency
• Responding to production site emergencies
• Responding to drilling site emergencies
• Related information resources
• Ohio's oil and gas emergency response website

The information in the training manual was obtained from a variety of sources including the American Petroleum Institute, The National Fire Protection Association, The International Fire Service Training Association as well as the personal knowledge of Ohio emergency response professionals experienced in responding to oilfield emergencies.