This is a new adventure for me. I have been teaching for over 40 years but when I started, my audio visuals included a blackboard, overhead projector, grease pencil and acetate. I quickly progressed into sophisticated equipment such as a slide projector, colored overheads, and could even thread a 16mm film projector. Now I am venturing into another world. Today I’m going to start blogging. This a fairly new form of communicating but if we, as instructors, don’t use every tool at our disposal we are missing a huge opportunity to reach our students. Therefore, look out blog world. Here I come!

Those who have taken classes with me have probably heard me say that I’m not as much a teacher as I am a translator. Sometimes I translate information that is complicated and make it simple, but most of the time I translate or communicate messages from one friend to another. At EnergyEmergencies.com, I feel I finally have the opportunity to bring all my friends together in one place.

My best friends are my brothers and sisters in emergency response. I want you all to talk with each other in the energy world. This website will get you started. Find the area you want to know more about and then do more than talk, communicate. We need to communicate together because the information at the sites that you can link to from EnergyEmergencies.com may literally save your life.

EnergyEmergencies.com will help you find information. Right now it is a small step but it will grow. Portable-Pipelines.com, which is just a few months old, had almost 200 requests for information the first week it was online. EnergyEmergencies.com is a gateway to more information, and a path to communicate with others in both public and private entities.

In addition, I have resources to share as well. I am proud to tell you that each of the energy utilities on EnergyEmergencies.com use programs that include components, training, and information which I have developed or provided for each of their specific hazards.

Another valuable resource is the network of contacts we have created at EnergyEmergencies.com. I have taught classes in all 50 states including 4 provinces and 9 countries outside of North America. The classes Responding to Natural Gas and Responding to Electrical Emergencies have been used by over 14,000 responders. I invite both private and public responders to call on us if you need help. If you are looking for specific information, we probably know someone who has or can get you to the right resource.

EnergyEmergencies.com is not just an information site. While information is important, it is one directional – communication is a two-way street. Once effective communication is established quality, timely, and useful information flows. This develops trust and trust leads to cooperation. Responders that trust utilities know that the motives of these utilities are not just compliance-driven or check the box; they understand that these utilities truly care about responder safety. Honest communication creates cooperation and when trust and cooperation meet, coordination follows. Remember, when an energy emergency occurs, success or failure is measured by three benchmarks – Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination.

Thanks for visiting our site. We hope it has been helpful to you. Your feedback is important to us as we continue to build EnergyEmergencies.com to be a useful tool.