Emergencies and natural disasters can strike at any time as we saw with the recent Carson earthquake, so being prepared is important. As a reminder, September is National Preparedness Month and this year the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign has chosen the theme, “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for Disasters is Protecting Everyone You Love.”

This theme is embedded in Torrance Refinery’s safety culture through our commitment to keeping our workforce, operations, and community safe, which means emergency preparedness is a year-round focus for us. In fact, refinery employees are always in a state of readiness to effectively respond to emergencies, with a number of employees dedicated to emergency response.

Refinery workers understand preparedness means embracing a safety mindset; to think ahead and plan for the safest way to proceed with a task and having the authority to stop work or shut down equipment if they believe something is unsafe. Being prepared also means knowing and following the Refinery’s emergency procedures if an incident occurs. Employees participate in regular training and help one another reinforce safe practices throughout every shift.

In addition, Torrance Refinery emergency response personnel have trained regularly with local fire departments and industrial mutual aid organizations for many years to achieve a shared goal of protecting the public and the refinery. This summer, Refinery personnel participated in an emergency response drill coordinated by its affiliate company Torrance Logistics Company LLC (TOLC), to respond to a potential worst-case oil spill scenario that helped t develop plans to mi ramifications to the environment and nearby communities.

Representatives from multiple government agencies participated in the state- and federally-mandated exercise, including local police and fire departments, the United States Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention & Response, and various other local emergency response organizations. Working together, we drilled using the FEMA Incident Command System (ICS), the standardized system that is used across the country to systematically manage responses to emergencies and disasters.

The ICS guides responders to effectively coordinate and manage resources during an incident response. Through regular drills like this one, as well as training and safe practices, Refinery employees maintain a state of readiness and hone their skills in responding to and managing potential incident scenarios. Additionally, employees take many of these lessons learned home to help keep their families and communities prepared.

The ICS guides responders to effectively coordinate and manage resources during an incident response. Through regular drills like this one, as well as training and safe practices, Refinery employees maintain a state of readiness and hone their skills in responding to and managing potential incident scenarios. Additionally, employees take many of these lessons learned home to help keep their families and communities prepared.

There is also a personal component to emergency planning. With the seasons changing, National Preparedness Month is a great time to re-evaluate your preparedness plan with your loved one. Here are a few tips to help you become better prepared:

 

1. Have a Plan: To develop or review a plan for yourself and/or your family, visit ready.gov.

2. Communicate: Make sure family members know where your plan is located and know what to do.

3. Practice. Practice. Practice: Practice safe practices at home to know what to do in case of an emergency. For example, a great time to practice how to “Shelter in Place” is when the monthly test of Community Sirens is conducted on the first Wednesday of the month in Torrance.

4. Sign Up to Receive Emergency Notifications:

• TorranceAlerts can be sent via landline phone, cell phone, text message or email. Go to www.ToranceCA.Gov/TorranceAlerts.

• Beach Cities Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER): Visit www.beachcitiescaer.org.

• Alert SouthBay: visit www.alertsouthbay.com or text ‘ALERTSB” to 888-777 to register.