Responding to Emergency First Responder’s Needs

Bob Herron, Mike Sharkey, Marc Henderson, Scott Campbell, Steve Reynolds, Jerry Lamb, and Brian McKnight
The Energy Cooperative

Several years ago it came to the attention of local Emergency First Responders (EFRs) that they were lacking in training concerning propane related equipment and propane-induced fires.

The only propane fire training being offered at that time was conducted once a year at a county-wide fire school. After the instructor who taught these yearly classes became ill and could no longer conduct the training, the training was dropped. Due to this dilemma, representatives from volunteer fire departments met with The Energy Cooperative’s Propane Operations Manager, Bob Herron, to discuss continuing the EFR training in some way.

After hearing of the EFR’s needs for both funding and a method of education, Mr. Herron took it upon himself to organize EFR propane fire education which would consist of both classroom and hands-on, “live-burn” training sessions. Mr. Herron contacted the Public Education and Research Council (PERC) and the Ohio Propane Gas Association Emergency Responder Training Fund for monetary assistance. He also arranged for all propane used during the training sessions to be provided by The Energy Cooperative.

Mr. Herron enlisted help from local fire-fighter instructors and fellow employees from the cooperative; Mike Sharkey, Marc Henderson, Scott Campbell, Steve Reynolds, Jerry Lamb, and Brian McKnight.

The classroom portion of the training sessions would be taught by Mr. Herron, with the live-burn portion being led by fire-fighter instructors. The support staff from the cooperative would be responsible for initial set up, the operating and monitoring of propane fuel-feed and valve control during the live-burn simulations, and the tear down of outside equipment.

Since its inception over five years ago, training has been provided by employees from The Energy Cooperative to more than 1,000 EFRs, not only in the immediate areas of the cooperative’s service territory but also surrounding counties as well. Training sessions are held on weekends and the employees from the cooperative have conducted these sessions on strictly a volunteer basis. They have donated numerous personal hours and hard work towards ensuring that EFRs are properly trained so they can in-turn, protect the public.