Experience Builds Better Emergency Response
Front-line knowledge shared with America’s first responders
Lessons learned from an oil pipeline rupture
Front-line experiences shared with America’s first responders
He served on the front lines in the aftermath of an oil pipeline rupture and a devastating tornado. And now former Arkansas County Judge Allen Dodson is sharing those experiences with first responders across the U.S. as part of a regional town hall program hosted by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and TransCanada.
Dodson was at the forefront of a 2013 oil pipeline rupture (not on a TransCanada pipeline) that occurred within his jurisdiction of Faulkner County, Ark.
“The pipeline rupture occurred near a large game and fish lake, and keeping oil out of that lake became a priority,” says Dodson, whose role was to coordinate and sign off on local and federal response to the crisis.
Incident response training coming to Waukesha, Wis.This week Dodson will explain details of the incident response to firefighters in Waukesha, Wis., joining the TransCanada and IAFC road show as it makes its 2016 debut.
“We need energy to live and work, and so we need pipelines,” says Dodson, hired by TransCanada for his expertise. “I’ve come to learn that these industrial players — such as TransCanada — care about people, they care about safety and they care about the environment.”
As in 2015, Allen will join TransCanada, industry representatives and first responders at these sessions to exchange ideas on pipeline emergency preparedness.
In 2015, TransCanada held over 125 safety exercises and drills across its service territory to ensure company staff and local emergency responders are well prepared in the event of a rare pipeline incident. The town hall series across America is an important supplement to those activities.
Additionally, TransCanada and IAFC hosted nine regional town halls last year, as well as presented at three conferences. As part of the 2016 series, TransCanada and IAFC will host 10 town halls and present at three conferences across the U.S.
For a list of upcoming town halls, visit TransCanada’s webpage on the National HazMat Fusion Center’s website.
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