Tucker Mendoza, founder of the Spill Response Association, said it's time for the spill response industry to come together.
According to Mendoza, the topics of emergency preparation and response should be ongoing discussions.
"We need to keep planning as we go along," Mendoza said. "Not just for tomorrow, but for the long-term future as well."
The Spill Response Association is an emergency response group that includes more than 700 emergency response professionals. The association and its members are dedicated to making improvements to emergency response planning and training for the oil and gas industry.
"Our members express their concerns, and we come up with solutions for future response training programs," Mendoza said. "We want to protect our emergency responders and the environment by utilizing local community assets and small businesses to provide faster, more effective and more efficient response.
"Our mission is to add spokes to what is already in place and for our members to share their emergency response knowledge firsthand. We want to teach the next generation of emergency responders."
According to Mendoza, his hope is that those in the spill response industry will continue to come together and leverage their experiences to mandate the necessary changes.
"We will bring concerns and solutions to the table to help make new safety standards," Mendoza said. "In recent years, despite all the changes, newer technologies have become available, yet no changes have been made to improve the in-classroom or practical in-field training. Our goal is to teach the next-generation of responders through training courses, using practical hands-on demonstrations that provide the fastest and safest emergency response."
The Spill Response Association's Forward Movement Local Response Personnel Plan (LRPP) helps provide local citizens and others like recreational or commercial fishermen with response training and certifications, while also providing response personnel and equipment on waterways. The LRPP funds are gathered by the Spill Response Association's members through sponsorships, educational courses, training programs, green and new technology grants, as well as equipment and product sales.
Mendoza stated that a "revolving door" of spill response personnel is a major concern of his. This creates the problem that when an emergency occurs and responders are called upon, they don't have the training to perform the job correctly.
"Workers can become complacent when it comes to safety and then the job ends up not being done efficiently or effectively," Mendoza said. "Those who have been in the business understand the importance of immediate response and proper cleanup techniques and how they can make a big impact on people and the environment. When cleanups are not done properly, it takes a toll on the environment."
Mendoza and the Spill Response Association want to make sure that when an unexpected event occurs, the spill response industry learns from it and is prepared if it ever happens again.
The Spill Response Association plans on holding its first industry seminar later this year.
For more information, contact Mendoza at trimakenvironmental@gmail.com.
