The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) — working in cooperation with the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and pipeline industry operators across the country — completed the first in what will be a series of regional conferences entitled "Energy Emergencies: What's Next in Response Planning?"

The region's state fire marshals' offices, pipeline operators, and officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration partnered with first responders and hazmat safety trainers to offer insight on how to improve emergency response for potential pipeline accidents.

In addition, NASFM highlighted their recently released second edition of the Pipeline Emergencies training program. The updated and comprehensive curriculum is now available electronically to all first responders across the U.S. at no charge.

More conferences of this type are planned for 2012 and will be developed around this format of cooperation and education.