Did you know Torrance Refinery has its own fire station and volunteer fire brigade? 84 talented employees are trained specifically for the types of fires that could happen at the Refinery, and work in a variety of jobs around the Refinery. Some are also trained EMTs, trained in CPR and have other safety certifications that qualify them to save lives and property.
As part of our Safety Culture, at any given time, there is a Fire Brigade team working in their normal jobs around the Refinery, from engineers to operators.
Since we do not have a fire training facility on site or even nearby that can simulate the types of fires that we could experience at the Refinery, some of our fire brigade members go to the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Fire Training School in College Station, TX each year to be retrained and learn new life-saving techniques. Refinery Firefighters also train with Torrance Fire Department because in an emergency the Refinery would be working very closely with the Torrance Fire Department. That also provides Torrance Fire Department personnel with the opportunity to learn how to best address the types of chemical and industrial fires that could occur at the Refinery. Click here to see more information on our refinery fire training course.
Recently, Torrance Refining Company ordered a brand-new fire truck to add to our fire station. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compliant engine will be the Refinery’s front-line pumper for responding to emergencies within the plant. On the surface this looks like an average shiny new fire truck, but everything on the truck services a vital role. There are numerous new safety features that allow our fire brigade to work as safely as possible close to fires. There is an 800-gallon Foam Concentrate Tank, up to 6000 gallons per minute pumping capacity and a diesel 500 horsepower engine.
Amber Rosson, Shift Safety Advisor and Fire Brigade member since 1997 said “I like being on the Fire Brigade and I’ve done this for most of my career. Being able to keep the Refinery safe and keep employees able to go home to their families each day is our mission. The training and safety mechanisms are always improving, and they keep me learning. The new fire engine is exciting too.”