2012 — Number 1 - ExxonMobil

(Large photo, above)
Students practice deploying
containment boom in Humble
Canal in Paradis, Louisiana.
The training area is part of a
former company exploration
and production operation.
(At left, top) Unloading boom
in preparation for deployment.
(At left, bottom) Class
members use a belt skimmer
to recover simulated
oil captured within the
containment boom.
System,” a process developed
by the U.S. Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and used
extensively by the U.S. Coast
Guard and other organizations.
“Our three-day course pre-
sents the fundamentals of managing
an incident and provides
an overview of key response
activities,” explains Tommy
Tomblin, oil-spill response advisor
for ExxonMobil Refining &
Supply Company.
“We cover everything from
employee and public safety
to government relations, risk
management, and the use of
skimmers, dispersants and other
equipment used during oil spills.
We focus on what’s practical. We
explain the factors that must be
considered, such as mobilizing
equipment or other assets over
long distances, when managing
ExxonMobil’s response to an
incident. When students complete
this course, they have the
basic training required for incident
commanders and operations
supervisors on ExxonMobil
spill-management teams.”
Focus on ExxonMobil
operations
Tomblin and Brian Hansen,
emergency response coordinator
for ExxonMobil Production
Company, jointly developed
this in-house program because
similar training offered by third
parties was not of sufficient
quality and scope to meet the
company’s needs.
“We saw value in a training
program that was specifically
focused on ExxonMobil’s operations
and organization,” says
Hansen. “We also recognized
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