Operators of gas, hazardous liquid, and liquefied natural gas pipeline facilities have a new resource to help them comply with US government regulations and respond quickly to emergencies.
Currently, if a pipeline operator calls 9-1-1 from the company's operations center or monitoring station, he or she will reach the 9-1-1 call center nearest to that office, which might be thousands of miles away from the actual emergency. The time required to refer that call to the appropriate 9-1-1 center delays critically important actions that could save lives and property.
On October 11, 2012, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a division of the US Department of Transportation, advised all pipeline companies that they must be prepared to – and are now required to – "immediately and directly" contact the nearest 9-1-1 center in the event of an actual or potential emergency.
In response, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA – The 9-1-1 Association) today is launching the PSAP Information for Pipeline Emergencies (PIPE) Database. Developed specifically for pipeline operators, the NENA PIPE Database provides direct-inbound, ten-digit numbers to be used for specific 9-1-1 centers.
"In an emergency, every second counts when it comes to protecting lives, property, and pipeline companies' relationships with local communities," says Brian Fontes, CEO of NENA. "The NENA PIPE Database will help companies comply with this mandate and enhance public safety along every mile of every pipeline. If we can shave even 10 seconds off of response times in critical situations, it will almost always correlate to better outcomes."
The database is being offered on an annual subscription that includes the initial set-up and three free updates per year to ensure that companies have the most up-to-date and dependable information. Subscriptions rates vary according to the number of jurisdictions being served. Interested parties can visit www.nenapipedb.com and/or contact Ty Wooten, Director of Education & Operational Issues, at twooten@nena.org or 202-618-4408.
