Press Release: Announcing the NEW Pipeline Emergences Second Edition

The National Association of State Fire Marshals, working with a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, will be releasing on May 20, 2011, an updated and enhanced second edition of the Pipeline Emergencies curriculum. The curriculum will debut at the 2011 International Hazardous Materials Response Teams Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

Since its introduction in 2004, the Pipeline Emergencies program has trained more than one thousand firefighters and certified fire trainers across the country, and distributed almost 45,000 textbooks free-of-charge to first responders. In response to the new challenges facing responders in the field, the second edition of Pipeline Emergencies will continue to give the technical background information, regulations and standards, hazard and risk evaluation, and tactical response procedures first responders need to safely handle a pipeline emergency. There will be an added focus on American Petroleum Institute's Recommended Practice 1162 and material to support the industry's mandatory outreach and training requirements. The curriculum will be useful to pipeline operators, regulatory agencies, local response officials, and elected representatives in addition to firefighters, police officers, and other first responders.

NASFM has modernized the way the 2.0 version of the curriculum is delivered. NASFM will offer the second edition online, as print-on-demand, and as a CD. This will allow the addition of a testing option, integrated support for students, interactive training scenarios with simulated emergency situations, and coordinated video clips when appropriate. Students will be able to "flip" the electronic pages like a real book but get the added advantages of the latest technology for enhanced learning and comprehension. The instructor's package will again dovetail with the textbook ensuring the complete curriculum works together for a thorough educational package. NASFM will continue to make available printed textbook copies and instructor tools, but the revised second edition is to be widely distributed electronically on the Internet via www.pipelineemergencies.com, on CD and DVD, and through other online portals.

NASFM continues to explore partnerships with pipeline operators to offer the training online through dedicated web portals. The goal would be for operators to educate the responders who might directly answer a call to one of their facilities or pipelines. Other online training and education opportunities are being explored to ensure the program is available to interested responders who might otherwise be unable to attend a class via traditional teaching venues.

NASFM will once again offer the second edition at no cost to first responders and other emergency response personnel.

Click here to see the NEW Pipeline Emergencies Second Edition.