Roundtable Talk - Pipeline Incident Readiness: What Your Fire Department and Community Need to Know

Pipeline incidents can put responders and community members at risk as well as cause disruptions to needed services. Join this NVFC Roundtable Talk to hear from federal, fire service, and industry experts about steps your department can take to both prepare for and prevent pipeline emergencies. Learn about available training programs and resources to promote first responder readiness and help departments with creating and adopting policies and procedures to mitigate pipeline emergencies in their communities. The panelists will also discuss resources fire departments can use for public awareness campaigns, including updated PHMSA guidance to prevent emergencies by encouraging the public to contact 811 before they dig.

David Bullard (Moderator)

David is a 22 year member of the fire service and currently serves as a Lieutenant and coassigned to the Training Division with the Columbia County Fire Rescue (Ga.) and a part time Firefighter with Grovetown (Ga) DPS. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia State Firefighter's Association, National Volunteer Fire Council State Director, Georgia Pipeline Emergency Response Initiave Board of Directors, NFPA’s Working Group on Flammable Refrigerants, Alternate to NFPA 1021 and 1056 Committees, and was Secretary of IFSTA's Pumping Apparatus Driver Operator 3rd Edition Curriculum Committee, contributor to the “Training Officer’s Desk Reference”, and is a Safety and Health coordinator with HEPACO LLC. As an active instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy with Firefighter Basics, David is constantly engaged with teaching live fire, leadership, HAZMAT, and Firefighter Survival/RIT classes.

Skip Elliot

Howard R. "Skip" Elliott is a nationally recognized expert in transportation policy, safety, security, and organizational strategy. He is the founder and president of HRE Integrity, a management consulting firm helping organizations maximize effectiveness and long-term business value.

Prior to founding HRE Integrity, Skip served as Administrator of the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) at the U.S. DOT, unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, where he oversaw the safety of the nation's pipelines and the secure transport of hazardous materials nationwide. He also served as the President-appointed acting Inspector General of the U.S. DOT.

Skip built a distinguished 40-year career in the freight rail industry, including serving as vice president of public safety, health, and environment at CSX Transportation until his retirement in 2017.

His contributions to transportation safety have earned him numerous honors, including lifetime achievement awards from the Association of American Railroads and the Transportation Research Board, as well as the recent Warren Isman Chairman's Award from the International Association of Fire Chiefs' Hazardous Materials Committee. He is a graduate of Indiana University and a distinguished alumnus of Columbia Southern University.

Nitander Raju

Tommy Sipsy

Tommy Sipsy, Doctorate in Forensic Science, M.F.Sc, B.S., IAAI CFI, CI, NAFI CFEI

Biographical Information: Dr. Tommy Sipsy serves as the manager of the fire investigation unit at Southern Company Gas, where he has worked for the past 41 years. Sipsy possesses a bachelor's degree in fire science, specializing in fire, arson, and explosion investigations, from Eastern Kentucky University; a master's degree in forensic science; and a doctorate in forensic science from Oklahoma State University. As manager of the fire investigations unit for SCG, he allocates considerable time to investigating fires and explosions in conjunction with public and private sector investigators, as well as testing natural gas systems within or adjacent to a facility. Over the past 41 years, he has gained significant expertise in the fuel gas codes and regulations of NFPA 54 and CFR 49.192. Sipsy has acquired certifications from the International Association of Arson Investigators (CFI, CI) and the National Association of Fire Investigators (CFEI). Sipsy is a past president of the Georgia Fire Investigators Association and currently serves as the T&E chair and currently serves as the president of the IAAI Foundation.