SPRING, TX – ExxonMobil Pipeline Company and Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) today announced the establishment of a new emergency response training course specifically designed to train firefighters on how to safely manage the challenges experienced during liquid pipeline and storage tank incidents. ExxonMobil has provided TEEX with a $200,000 grant that will fund the development of the program and the participation of 150 firefighters in the coming year.
TEEX, a leader in administering emergency response training, will oversee the program and work with ExxonMobil emergency response experts to develop the pipeline and storage tank training curriculum and exercises. The course will be offered at TEEX’s Brayton Fire Training Field, one of the world’s top training facilities, located within the emergency preparedness campus in College Station, Texas. Three sessions will be offered for up to 50 participants at each session: Aug. 17-18, 2019; Oct. 19-20, 2019; and Jan. 11-12, 2020.
“This commitment from ExxonMobil allows TEEX to provide a specialized training opportunity that otherwise would not be available to these emergency responders from communities around the country,” said Gordon Lohmeyer, Executive Associate Director, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service. “Responding to liquid pipeline and tank incidents often requires executing strategies that are unique to these incidents and often do not involve fire. Now we will be able to train more first responders to recognize and safely manage the challenges inherent in these emergencies.”
ExxonMobil’s grant to develop this training program with TEEX is part of the company’s ongoing effort to support first responders serving in the areas in which it operates pipelines and related facilities. The company regularly invites first responders to participate in simulated emergency response exercises and provides local fire departments with grants to purchase needed equipment.
“As a company that prioritizes safety, ExxonMobil is proud to partner with TEEX to create a program specifically focused on training firefighters to safely manage oil pipeline and tank emergencies,” said Johnita Jones, Vice President – Southern Operations Manager, ExxonMobil Pipeline Company. “While such incidents are infrequent, our goal is to make sure these firefighters and other first responders – many of whom are volunteers and the first line of defense in protecting our communities and the environment – are prepared and equipped to safely manage these types of emergencies.”
About ExxonMobil Pipeline Company
ExxonMobil Pipeline Company transports crude oil, refined products, liquefied petroleum gases, natural gas liquids and chemical feedstocks through more than 4,000 miles of operated pipeline and facilities in Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, and Texas. ExxonMobil Pipeline Company is committed to providing shippers transportation services that are safe, efficient and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit www.exxonmobilpipeline.com.
About the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service
The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) is an internationally recognized leader in the delivery of emergency response, homeland security and workforce training, exercises, technical assistance, and economic development. A member of The Texas A&M University System, TEEX served more than 194,000 people from across the United States and 81 countries last year through hands-on training and technical services during Fiscal Year 2018.
