Gary Fike, PTC safety instructor and the OPAL program presenter, and Vance Johnson, PTC facilities/safety director discuss the visual aid for the table top exercise. The table top exercise covered natural gas and liquid leak scenarios and ultimately challenged participants answer the question, "Are you prepared to respond to a pipeline incident?"

Pioneer Technology Center (PTC) was one of the first sites to host the 2008 Pipeline Safety and Incident Response seminar developed by the Oklahoma Public Awareness Liaison (OPAL) this year. The OPAL program puts focus on providing Oklahoma emergency responders and public officials with the information they need to protect our critical assets and ensure the safety of our the communities. In this case, OPAL has partnered with the Oklahoma CareerTech System to reach all of Oklahoma’s communities through the local technology centers, with Pioneer Tech safety staff taking a leading role in implementing the training across the state.

This seminar’s topics included pipeline basics, damage prevention and leak recognition, emergency response, and hazardous awareness. A table top exercise was also a part of the program’s curriculum. Over 90 emergency responders, pipeline operators, and public officials participated in Pioneer Technology Center’s sessions.