A disaster drill planned by BHP Billiton will involve local public safety agencies when it takes place Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon on Robinson Road in southeast Caddo Parish, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator.

BH Billiton is a Global Energy company that has gas well sites in the Haynesville Shale located in Caddo, Bossier, Desoto and Red River parishes. The exercise scenario will involve a simulated “loss of well control” and fire isolated to the well site. It will also include simulated injuries to a worker on site.     

Public safety agencies participating in the exercise are the Caddo Sheriff’s Office, Caddo Sheriff’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Caddo 911, Louisiana State Police, Shreveport Fire Department, Caddo Fire District #5, Department of Environmental Quality, and Life Air Rescue.  

In planning their annual training exercise, BHP said when managing an emergency, it is important to exercise plans together using the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the same system used by public safety agencies in an emergency.

During a March pre-planning tabletop exercise, Sammy Halphen, BHP safety supervisor, said, “Co-operation and communication in emergency incidents can make the difference between quickly returning the situation to normal verses experiencing a delay that allows the incident to be larger than it has to be. Training together has given insight into what each entity brings to the event and how we can best work together toward the common goal of saving lives and protecting property.”

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Note: Upon arrival at 9 a.m., media will be directed to a staging area on Robinson Road off Highway 1 South.