- Author
- California State University | Dragonfly Communications Network
- Title
- Emergency Response to Natural Gas Vehicles.
- Coporate
- California State Univ., Chico Dragonfly Communications Network
- Sponsor
- California Office of Traffic Safet California Energy Commission California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition
- Keywords
- natural gas | emergency responders | training | students | fire fighters | decision making | fuels | refueling
- Abstract
- Goals and Objectives: The California Energy Commission received a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety to develop a training curriculum for California's emergency response community. The program brought stakeholders representing the natural gas industry, the automobile manufacturers, and the natural gas utility companies. The program's primary objectives were to produce an interactive multi-media training manual, conduct four train-the-trainer classes to give emergency responders the knowledge to safely handle a natural gas vehicle incident, and make the materials available to the emergency response community. Strategies and Activities: The California Energy Commission contracted with the Instructional Media Center Productions at California State University, Chico, to produce the CD and video. Dragonfly Communications Network provided the content and conducted the training classes. The stakeholders provided funding, and direction and review of the training program contents. The class curriculum was developed using an 8-hour format, but the material can be customized to accommodate one- or two-hour crew training, or used in conjunction with other curricula such as auto extrication. The video and CD also may be used as self-training tools at emergency response stations. Major Goal and Objective Results: Four train-the-trainer classes produced sixty-six trainers to hold their own training sessions. The California Energy Commission is making the training material available by responding to requests for the CD and video from emergency responders throughout California and across the nation. The California Energy Commission has publicized the program on the Internet and will be making the CD and video available on the Commission's web site. By making the material widely available, the California Energy Commission received a request to use a portion of the video to educate parents and school children on natural gas school buses.