COLLEGE STATION, Texas — It's well known that the TEEX Fire School is a facility visited by crews from around the state. So it’s no wonder that when Exxon Mobil saw the need for pipeline emergency training, they sent firefighters to the Brazos Valley.
“We’re here learning about liquid pipelines and facilities. It’s something that can highly impact the community but something we don’t see very often so we don’t get training on it so we don’t get training on it real often either,” said South Brazos County Volunteer Fire Department Chief, Chet Barker.
Exxon Mobil and TEEX developed a two-day course on emergency response training for pipelines and tanks, sending crews not only from our own backyard, but from the Gulf Coast.
Crews from areas like Cy Fair and Corpus Christi performed containments for simulated pipeline spills.
The gear firefighters have to put on is worth thousands of dollars, but the TEEX training they received is priceless.
“Texas is building quite a bit of pipelines so for us safety is paramount. It’s important that first responders get the right training. Particularly some of the areas where there is a lot of new growth. Its rural areas that really depend upon the volunteer firefighters,” said Nicolas Medina, the Public and Government Affairs Manager for Exxon Mobil pipeline company.
So a few of those volunteer precincts asked for hands on training. And Exxon came through with the funding for it at TEEX.
“Exxon Mobil being an excellent community partner is providing the best training for us here at college station. It’s just not something we can get here in the state of Texas,” said Jacob Atcher, of the Ingleside Volunteer Fire Department.
Medina understands training at TEEX is essential to fire departments who live near pipelines and that providing it is "good corporate citizenship. You know we do it because it’s the right thing to do. But it’s also the safe thing to do.”
Exxon Mobil has two more sessions like this planned for October and January.
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