Leland Olds Station team participates in rescue training

In mid-August, members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) at Basin Electric's (Basin) Leland Olds Station participated in a course on industrial rescue training held on the North Dakota Safety Council's campus in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The 50-hour class—taught by Roco Rescue—was a hands-on training program intended to prepare rescuers to safely respond to industrial rescue emergencies. Participants learned to use modern rescue equipment and apply proven techniques in realistic scenarios involving confined spaces, elevated structures, towers, vessels, suspended workers, and atmospheres requiring respirator use.

Ryan Fisk, safety director, said this type of training is especially important in a power generation environment where employees may be called upon to respond in complex and stressful emergency situations. Hands-on training gives ERT members the opportunity to practice working together, build confidence in their skills, and strengthen communication as a team. If an emergency does occur, that preparation helps the team respond in a coordinated manner and provide effective care and patient stabilization during a rescue.

Although the training is necessary to maintain compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's rescue preparedness requirements, safety means more than regulatory compliance for Basin—it is one of the cooperative’s core values. Fisk noted, “Our employees are the most important part of our organization and safety is something that we all contribute to every day. Every task carries potential risks, but by looking out for one another and working together to recognize and manage those risks, we strengthen our safety culture to help ensure everyone goes home the same way they arrived.”

Tyler Hotten, instrument/controls supervisor, serves as the ERT captain at Leland Olds Station and has a clear understanding of why their team’s role is critical. “Safety is a pillar of the Basin team. While working safely is the first line of defense against an emergency, unfortunately, accidents do happen in our industry,” Hotten said. “In an emergency, minutes matter. Having employees proficient in immediate emergency response is invaluable as they bridge the time gap between an incident occurring and local emergency response teams arriving.”

Brad Warr, senior chief instructor for Roco Rescue, led the course attended by Basin staff. “The Leland Olds Station team can now move people using advanced rope systems from places that only those systems will work,” Warr said. “They were a great group to work with and came together as a team as the week progressed. They are well positioned to provide true technical rescue capabilities to the facility where they work.”