County firefighter takes part in oil, gas incident response training

A Seneca County firefighter-paramedic recently took part in free training on oil and gas incident response. According to a release, Kyle Blausey, a firefighter-paramedic for Fostoria Fire Division, took part in the two-day training in October that provided Ohio firefighters with best practices and tactics for mangaging oil field and natural gas events. Blausey said the training would be a bonus for anyone who is able to go to the class and learn about gas emergencies. The release states the training took place at the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program outdoor fire-behavior lab at the Wayne County Fire & Rescue Training Facility, 2311 S. Millborne Road, Apple Creek. The 2018 Ohio Firefighter Academies, also known as the Oilfield Emergency Response Training Program, are provided free by the OOGEEP to help Ohio firefighters keep communites safe and connect them to an energy industry that is important to Ohio. The program is endorsed by the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association, Ohio Society of Fire Service Instructors and Ohio Fire and Emergency Services Foundation. Created in 1998, OOGEEP is a non-profit statewide education and public outreach program that provides a variety of programs throughout the state, the release states. The programs focus primarily on teacher workshops, scholarships, science fairs, firefighter trainings, industry safety trainings, career and workforce development, research and guest speaker programs. Blausey and other firefighters from across the state took part in classroom presentations, activities and hands-on fire behavior labs that offered insight into how oil and gas is explored, drilled and produced, and the importance of establishing a unified command in the event of an emergency, the release states. Those attending the event received a certificate of attendance, field guide, spill response kit, Class B Foam and other materials that can be used by their departments as well as receiving documentation for contact credit hours. Through the assistance of Ohio's oil and gas producers, firefighters were able to attend the class at no cost, it states. Fire, EMS and other emergency services peronnel often take classes and training to stay up to date, maintain certification or recertify. Blausey said he thought the class was a great program that provided valuable training. He said typical calls in this area revolve around structure fires and EMS runs and the training often reflects that. "This was out of the norm and it took me out of the realm of what I was used to, and really showed me what to do if there was a really serious emergency in our area and how to be prepared for it," Blausey said. He said it was a phenomenal program and he was thoroughly impressed with the training facility. Blausey said he learned there are only two places in the United States where they train for fires in an oil or gas emergency. According to the release, OOGEEP Executive Director Rhonda Reda said that in 18 years, the organization has trained more than 1,500 firefighters from Ohio and seven other states. She said the program uses state-certified instructors and the curriculum brings together Ohio's oil and gas industry, government regulators, firefighters and emergency response experts. Blausey said he didn't know how rich in oil the eastern part of the state is. He said it was interesting to travel two hours away and talk with firefighters there and learn how a lot of the products over there are being sent through our area. "It's good to take some of that knowledge and the tactics that I learned over there and bring it over here," Blausey said. "We have gas piplines and train traffic that is moving crude oil and other natural gas through our area. There are oil wells here also; they're just commonly passed on and aren't noticed unless you pay attention." He said he was impressed by the oil and gas industry's safety and education and that they are safety-oriented in the industry. "To be honest, it really opened my eyes to my surroundings. As an example, I was there and was looking at a map and I noticed there are three oil wells next to my house that I hadn't noticed before," Blausey said. "(The program) helps bring awareness, education and (teaches) tactics as far as emergency response goes." Different tactics the training focused on included outside firefighter tactics and the use of foam, he said. Blausey said they went through several scenarios and used tactics that emphasized foam application. Another thing that was focused on was water supply, and he said he learned about the resources local departments can call in times of emergency. "The oil industry will have tankers and pumps on the way to local departments if notified in an emergency situation, and I had no idea how available they were as far as assistance goes if there is a problem in the area," Blausey said. The release states that according to the United States Fire Administration, there are 1,167 registered fire departments in Ohio and 61 percent of them are staffed by volunteer personnel. Blausey said the program is beneficial regardless if someone is a volunteer or a full-time firefighter. He said the training is heat-oriented so it is not offered in the summer, but classes are offered in spring and fall. Blausey said he would like to encourage other local departments to look into the program and sign up for it. While some firefighter training can be expensive, he said the entire program is paid for through a grant and does not cost anything for anyone to attend. "One of those classes can give local first responders an awareness and education of possible emergencies and what to do. It's not a typical call, but it could happen, and if you don't have any inclination of what to do, you're going to be left standing there, scratching your head," Blausey said. "I strongly recommend that local first responders apply for this class." More information about the Ohio Firefighter Academies can be found at www.oogeep.org/firefighter.