Rescue Team Excellence: Lion Oil Company

“BAM!” That’s the playful exclamation as Lion Oil Company’s emergency response employees throw down any of fifteen rescue knots, challenging teammates to inspect. Unit Operator Spencer Callaway describes, “The competition among ourselves has been one of the best motivators to improve our skills.” Aside from accuracy and integrity of rescue knots, they also race each other’s best speed; a 20-second tie-time goal is dropping appreciably among these employees the more they practice and commit knot configurations to their “second nature” know-how. The strength and functionality of the right rescue knots – with proficiency in rope lines, belaying, riggings, anchors, and other equipment mean saving lives.

As friends, they may use joking and competition to test and improve performance, but their purpose is no playful exploit. A dozen employees of the El Dorado, Arkansas-based refinery now work together as volunteers, practicing during work and on their own free time to build their skills in emergency response and preparedness. Ten of those earned the highest SUPERIOR rating at the last Roco Rescue Challenge. This national event is held every two years, providing emergency First Responders the settings and structures in which to assess, decide, and execute rescue maneuvers. October 10 – 12, 2007, saw a top-wins team of Lion Oil Company (LOC) employees, comprised of:

Eddie Bagley, Joel Cates, Keith Pridgen, James Cates, Chris Thomas, Spencer Calloway, Billy Ray Woolsey, Carroll Gadberry, Todd Thompson, Pat Patterson

For the event, these ten men spent three days working multiple simulations under the expert eye of Roco Instructors. Roco Rescue, Inc., is an industry leader, which serves as an external, professional third party to evaluate document performance of the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) rescue standard’s Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 1910.146, “Criteria for Evaluation of Rescue Services.” Their training center is considered one of the most unique and innovative facilities in America for High Angle, Confined Space, Fall Protection, Tower Rescue and Firefighter Escape maneuvers. Trench and Collapse Rescue training is also conducted.

While Roco Rescue Inc., trains and equips people from around the world, this event allows First Responders from municipalities and industries in the United States to work in simulated emergencies and have their performance critiqued to OSHA standards. They are provided a scenario, a described “situation” with hazards and additional obstacles introduced, designed to gauge Rescuers’ efficiency, effectiveness, safety, judgment and speed. Beyond assessment, the simulation challenge is also a coaching and learning tool. Safety Technician Eddie Bagley described “The Golden Hour,” referring to a critical need for preparedness and speed if victims are to survive their accidents and injuries. “That’s why our planning, pace, and auto-response as a team are so imperative,” said Spencer.

Lion’s program began in 2001 with Jeff Machen, Eddie Bagley, and Joel Cates. Jeff Machen, credited with the intent to establish this group, said,“That’s the finest group of men that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Their competitive nature made everyone perform to a level that none of us knew we were capable of reaching. They made a scary job one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. Lion Oil also supported us with resources, even gave us prizes like coffee mugs and other incentives which showed us that management was behind us, acknowledging our efforts.” Joel Cates joined LOC as an experienced instructor, followed in 2002 by Keith Pridgen, James Cates, and Chris Thomas who came on board as Level III Technicians. In 2003, the team participated in their first Roco Rescue Challenge after only being together for six months. Safety Technician Keith Pridgen said, “Roco has been a terrific resource, with their balance of instructors from fire rescue, emergency medical, and military backgrounds. Our success for Lion Oil is because of Roco Rescue.”

The team members all expressed gratitude that Mr. Lampton, Paul Fisher, who manages Lion Oil Company, and other upper management have been so supportive of their initiative. Eddie Bagley explained, “They knew we were volunteering, practicing at work but also during our off hours. Ergon and LOC gave us equipment, materials and vessels to build a training structure here for our practice, to improve our skills. We’ve started a cooperative with area businesses, invited six local industries to join us and share these resources. In creating that kind of working relationship, we can rely on each other as First Responders and reinforcements in a community emergency.” He added, “The people on this rescue team are the most dedicated I’ve seen. Seven more employees will have joined our training program in the first quarter of 2009.”

James Cates attributes their success to a strong combination of factors, “LOC’s backing, employee commitment, and Roco’s dedication to training have made for a great mix in our rescue team.” These Lion Oil employees are understandably proud of their performance, but consider all of the rescue teams in the Challenge to be winners. They said that they left the event far better than when they had arrived, having learned with and from each other, the other teams and Roco instructors. They regarded it as an opportunity to practice with “the Best of the Best.” The simulated events put us as close to “real life” experiences as we could get without living actual emergencies, one man said. Still, the LOC employees reported that it was special to be the only team from Arkansas, and to work and rate alongside big operations like ExxonMobil, Valero, Tesoro and Suncor – Fortune 500 companies – and established teams out of Colorado and California. The event attracted rescue teams from chemicals industries, petroleum, even the Army.

Another benefit LOC enjoys is a project of Eddie’s based on a Roco “best practices” recommendation: documenting the property with “Pre-Plans” – manuals that contain specifics on each of almost 200 structures in the complex: photos, design details, anchor points, haul systems, space and product descriptions, special risk factors or hazards, rigging needed, etc. These resources are in manuals and on system-wide computers for easy access by all employees, as valuable references for the rescue team, but also used by refinery maintenance, operations and in orienting new employees.

Roco Rescue’s training director, Dennis O’Connell, a retired NYPD Emergency Services officer and First Responder at the World Trade Center on 9/11, expressed admiration for Lion Oil’s contribution: “At our last Challenge event, the Lion Oil team proved to be shining stars when they won both First Place trophies. A team doesn’t reach that level of proficiency without hard work and dedication. This level of success requires support from company management and dedicated team members who are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve excellence. As instructors, we can teach safe and efficient techniques, but only a team itself can devote the necessary time and effort to become truly proficient.”

“I and all of our instructors consider the progress of Lion Oil’s rescue team amazing. Their desire to improve, their willingness to listen and then apply feedback into their actions has earned our respect. For us, however, the real accolades come after all the teams have left, and we are debriefing the event. I always pose this question to our instructors: ‘Based on this event, what team would you most like to be on?’ For this Challenge event, their unanimous answer was ‘Lion Oil!’ We congratulate you for a job well-done!”

Yes, indeed: CONGRATULATIONS to Lion Oil Rescue team, earning the event’s SUPERIOR Rating award as well as trophies in: First Place for Individual Rescue Skills and First Place for Outstanding Teamwork.

Your humility, clear-thinking discernment, and pursuit of emergency rescue excellence are admirable. In a real-life crisis, our health, safety or very lives could one day depend on the knowledge and experience you are building. “BAM”