for Emergency Responders fall 2017 YCNGA Participates in State Full Scale GridEx IV Exercise Imagine a combination of cyber and physical public and private will play in GridEx IV across the nation As part of the exercise rolling blackouts that occur regionally in the state will be simulated Many electric utilities as well as pipelines and other energy providers are planning to participate as well York County Natural Gas Authority is scheduled to be part of the exercise and will activate its Corporate Response Team to address a variety of simulated inputs that will test our ability to address cyber and physical issues that occur on our system attacks on the nation's critical infrastructure cripples the electric grid Power is lost for days perhaps weeks How do we survive without this critical lifeline Throw in the mix extreme weather and you have a large scale crisis While a large scale attack on the grid system hasn't been successful here it has been in other places such as the Ukraine in 2015 Given the risk the North American Electric Reliability Corporation developed GridEx as a tool to aid in emergency planning for threats to the nation's power grid system GridEx IV will occur November 15-16 and South Carolina has committed to participate at a higher level than any other state has done in the past Some 1 500 organizations P I P E L I N E While we hope we never face a situation like what will be simulated through GridEx IV testing our planning and mitigation strategies is another step in enhancing our overall emergency management program I N C I D E N T E M E R G E N C Y R E S P O N S E Crisis Communications at the Scene of an Incident During a pipeline emergency open and frequent communication between response agencies and pipeline operators is imperative It is also important that emergency officials responsible for communicating with news media and the public provide timely accurate information Emergency response agencies can enable effective communication between agencies and with outside parties such as pipeline operators at the scene of a pipeline emergency by establishing the Incident Command System structure ICS and using appropriate communication equipment ICS outlines clear responsibilities including a Public Information Officer and liaison roles with operators and other agencies continued on page 3 P ipeline S a f ety a nd E mergency R esponse S emin a r Pipeline Safety EMERGENCY RESPONSE S E M I N C L I C K TO R E G I S T E R A R C L I C K TO R E G I S T E R for lunch for dinner Wednesday November 2 12noon-1 30pm Thursday November 3 6 30-8 00pm OR York County Natural Gas Authority is hosting emergency response tabletop exercises and dinner for area responders in November The sessions include a brief overview of pipeline operations and emergency response recommendations followed by a realistic location specific tabletop exercise involving responders and company personnel Dinner and door prizes included D a tes R oc k H ill loc a tions OR f ort mill November 6 2017 November 9 2017 6 30pm-8 30pm 6 30pm-8 30pm YCNGA Office Spratt Building Town of Fort Mill 965 West Main Street 215 Main Street Please register for the date of the session you would like to attend and let us know how many will be in your group o Register online https ycnga com safety emergency-responders #seminar o Or email Kristin Sotir at ksotir@ycnga com you will receive a confirmation email o Or call 803 323-5359 We look forward to seeing YOU YOUR DEPARTMENT in November Lessen the Risk of Injury and Damage - Spread the SC811 Word As our partners in safety we're asking for your help in spreading the word about the importance of calling 811 prior to digging If you observe excavation activities occurring near our pipeline markers we encourage you to check with the excavator to ensure that SC811 has been called and all underground utilities marked While damage to our system can result in loss of service to our customers our primary concern is safety We don't want anyone injured from an excavation related incident How can you tell if utilities have been marked Check for flags or paint markings on the ground TEMPORARY SERVICE ELECTRIC SERVICE PHONE CABLE NATURAL GAS RECLAIMED WATER SEWER DRAINAGE PORTABLE WATER R E S O U R C E S F O R R E S P O N D E R S SCPERI Pipeline Emergency Response Awareness Course Pilot On August 29 2017 the Materials Safety Administration Office of Regulatory Staff and South Carolina 811 South Carolina Fire Academy conducted a pilot session of the recently created Pipeline Emergency Response Awareness course in Lancaster SC for area responders Approximately 40 responders attended the 3 1 2 hour program Representatives from the Office of Regulatory Staff Dixie Pipeline Lancaster County Natural Gas Authority York County Natural Gas Authority and Patriots Energy Group were in attendance as well This course will be added to the existing SCFA curriculum and be conducted throughout the state The program provides an overview of the pipeline system from well head to burner tip and includes detailed strategic and tactical response recommendations for handling pipeline emergencies This training program will replace an earlier developed curriculum based on the Pipeline Emergencies course which was developed by the National Association of State Fire Marshals and used for many years After final review and edits the program will be rolled out for delivery The new course has had significant input by the South Carolina Pipeline Emergency Response Initiative SCPERI which is comprised of a cross section of representation from pipeline operators liquid and gas fire law enforcement emergency management State and US Forestry the Pipeline and Hazardous Crisis Communications at the Scene continued from page 1 The Public Information Officer PIO serves a critical role during large-scale emergencies or those that may attract media attention News media personnel may arrive at the scene of a pipeline emergency Emergency officials at the scene are typically the most credible and knowledgeable source for information about the emergency The media are an effective conduit to communicate with the general public and communicating with the media cannot be placed on the back burner for later In today's environment of instantaneous communications emergency response The pipeline members of SCPERI have committed to have company representatives attend training sessions whenever possible to assist the SCFA instructor in addressing any questions that may arise concerning pipeline operations and emergency response that go beyond the scope of the information provided in the awareness program This training program and its multidiscipline support will enhance safety of responders and the public in the event of a pipeline emergency Further it will help to enhance relationships among first responders and pipeline operator personnel personnel must deal as effectively with media relations as they do with all other aspects of emergency management and response Assure that individuals assigned the role to serve as PIO during an emergency have been trained in media relations and are provided accurate and timely information The following are tips for emergency responders who will be communicating with the media and public during a pipeline emergency o Early in the emergency establish a defined PIO area Do not allow reporters to wander aimlessly around the scene When selecting a PIO area avoid operationally sensitive areas including the Command Post rehab areas and areas with limited ingress or egress o Identify a PIO at the scene and have him or her coordinate with other stakeholders prior to addressing the news media o Take notes and develop a media statement obtain release approval and keep the Incident Commander informed of issues related to media inquires o Provide new updated and verified information o Don't be afraid to say that you don't know and offer to get back to them when you have more information o Train other responders how to handoff the news media to designated PIO personnel Pipeline 101 CONTACT US York County Natural Gas Authority valves keep pipelines safe Emergency 866 201-1001 Non-Emergency 803 323-5304 Website ycnga com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Valves ensure safe pipeline operations by allowing operators to reduce pressure re-route natural gas and even shut down the pipeline if needed Patriots Energy Group Emergency 888 609-9858 Website patriotsenergy com Pressure relief valves also known as reliefs are important safety components that enable operators to control the pressure of gas moving through pipelines Reliefs alleviate line pressure from becoming too high by venting small quantities of natural gas Chester County Natural Gas Authority Non-Emergency 803 385-3157 Website chestergas com Lancaster County Natural Gas Authority Non-Emergency 803 285-2045 Website lcngasc com Throttling valves called regulators help maintain a consistent pressure when gas is moving on the downstream side of a pipeline Regulators work in conjunction with reliefs to ensure that pipeline pressures remain within the design parameters If a regulator fails a back-up regulator or relief will activate to control the pipeline pressure An activated relief blows when venting gas often making a loud noise A blowing relief is functioning as designed and should never be valved off or capped If you encounter a blowing relief on the YCNGA system notify us as soon as possible We'll dispatch an experienced technician to repair the valve as needed Only company personnel should operate valves upstream from a single meter set SC811 In York County 888 721-7877 Website SC811 com National Pipeline System npms phmsa dot gov USDOT Pipeline Safety primis phmsa dot gov comm EmergencyOfficials htm Be Aware Carbon Monoxide Signs Symptoms Symptoms of carbon monoxide CO poisoning are similar to those of the flu and can be mis-diagnosed Physical symptoms of CO poisoning vary depending on the amount in the bloodstream -- the higher the concentration the higher the danger Training Opportunities for your Department Low levels of CO exposure can cause shortness of breath mild nausea fatigue and mild headaches Moderate levels can include headaches drowsiness nausea vomiting confusion dizziness or light-headedness If you suspect CO is present evacuate the building request EMS for any affected parties needing medical attention and investigate the cause of the CO Contact us if a natural gas appliance is faulty and we will isolate the fuel source until the necessary repairs are made HEADACHE NAUSEA DIZZINESS BREATHLESSNESS York County Natural Gas Authority personnel are available to provide training to local emergency responders on how to safely handle a pipeline emergency Please feel free to contact us for more information or to schedule a training session C O N T A C T Glen Boatwright COLLAPSE LOSS OF C ONSCIOUSNESS York County Natural Gas Authority Director of Regulatory Compliance 803 323-5439 glen boatwright@ycnga com This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu