Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on August 9, 2014 at 1:58am

Billy, you should contact every driller and the subs they use to correct that situation. Then go to OSHA and state safety agencies and point this out to them.  Maybe you could start a consulting firm to check out well sites and improve their systems. Hire several USN fire control experts and make all these work sites safer.

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Permalink Reply by PA Joe on August 11, 2014 at 2:04am

I have heard from those involved directly that both the operator and the contractors begged the fire department not to hose down the location. I live in a rural area and when there is an incident people come out of the woodwork so they can use their sirens and flashing lights as well as get all the tonka toys out to play with so I am not surprised. Nothing against the emergency responders, grateful for what they do, but they are woefully under trained for this sort of thing and should probably have listened to the experts, INMHO.

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Permalink Reply by searcherone on August 11, 2014 at 2:18pm

PA Joe

Your comments relate to my contention that  a plan of action needs in place so that all involved from company, contractors, state authorities, including state police agencies, down to and including local emergency responders need to know what to do and who has the authority to make the decisions.   

IMHO until an acceptable emergency plan is in place all parties involved are shunning their responsibilities.

I did learn the Wild Well has an office/yard/staging area/personnel in Canonsburg. PA.   Media need to report the location where the Wild Well responders come from, not it is a Texas company.  Makes people think they are coming from Texas.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on August 12, 2014 at 1:59am

searcherone   Many of these companies have had training sessions for first responders when they began developing a new area.  But the training basically consists of ..'These fires are way beyond your training, expertise, and equipment capabilities Your response should be to evacuate the area, set up a perimeter, and wait for expert fire control teams to arrive.'

About the only additional thing they can do is monitor air quality and expand the perimeter if needed.

And thanks for pointing out that Wild Well has a staging area in Cannonsburg as I didn't know that.  Its good to know they are closer.  I would expect them to set up other staging areas in Ohio and maybe one in eastern Pa to reduce their response time.

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Permalink Reply by searcherone on September 2, 2014 at 3:27pm

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/08/31/fracking-f...

This is the current update on the well fire.  Basically it says no one was prepared to fight this, there was a power struggle on the well site  and the powers that be--elected officials, ODNR, State Fire Marshall's office after two months have not devised a plan of action in case of another emergency.

IMHO its time for all involved to present the plan, fund the plan and  look at the emergency services in each of Ohio's shale counties,  offer emergency responder training, buy the necessary equipment for emergency responses even including heavy duty tow trucks because most of the O/G vehicles I see on the highways are not going to be towed by a rollback tow truck.  

If Wild Well Services can have regional sites can Ohio not have regional sites of specialized emergency equipment? 

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