Training sessions scheduled

Published 10:35 am Thursday, June 6, 2019

Training sessions to handle emergencies related to butane, pipelines and active threats have been set throughout the summer, Buckingham Emergency Manager Cody Davis said.

The events are closed to the public. Those participating are emergency personnel, which include emergency management, law enforcement, and fire and rescue agencies.

The pipeline emergency training is scheduled to take place Thursday, July 18, at Buckingham County Middle School.

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The event is strictly for all first responders, including fire and law enforcement officials, pipeline industry stakeholders, community emergency management personnel, security infrastructure stakeholders and public works officials.

The program is being hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

“The purpose of this awareness level, instructor-led course is to bring together rural pipeline security stakeholders including public safety, oil and gas pipeline representatives (large and small), local emergency planners, pertinent agencies, and other community stakeholders to recognize pipeline security threats and identify mitigation strategies within their jurisdictions to ensure that the rural pipeline sector is secure, resilient,” a description of the event cited.

Topics covered during the training, according to an event description and Davis, include pipeline system components, history of pipeline explosions and terrorism against pipelines, regulations and federal guidelines applicable to the pipeline system; current security threat assessment protocols and collaborative response protocols based on different scenarios.

“We’ll be discussing … training on the pipeline system components, safety procedures regarding security of pipelines and response to emergencies for them, and different resources available to make sure we are as safe as possible with the pipeline,” Davis said.

“This format will promote greater understanding and collaboration among parties responsible for pipeline security and will enhance operational capabilities between the many partners in response to a rural pipeline security incident,” the event description cited.

Training sessions to focus on handling butane-related emergencies are scheduled for June 26 at the Buckingham County Administration building and Aug. 24 at the Buckingham Branch Railroad.

“We’re going to review our response and recovery procedures to a large hazardous material release incident … It will be just kind of a like a generic review of how do we respond to it, and how do we recover from it,” Davis said.

Davis said butane, a type of gas, is typically stored and transported via rail cars or tractor-trailers.

Active threat training, which encompasses shootings and other emergencies, is set to be held at the BARN, 11851 W. James Anderson Highway, on Aug. 6.

This article has been corrected from its original version.