Demonstrations of oil spill response technology, talks and tours will be part of an upcoming industry day open house at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Marine Survival Training Center.
The industry day open house will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 5.
The purpose of the event is to showcase oil spill response equipment and methods that will be part of training courses offered through UL Lafayette’s Continuing Education Program.
The five-day training courses will begin sometime in May, said Jim Gunter, director of UL Lafayette’s Marine Survival Training Center.
“This is something that’s greatly needed in this region,” said Gunter, citing the potential for spills given the area’s heavy oil and gas production.
Representatives of oil companies, spill response teams, governmental agencies and anyone interested in spill response can attend the industry day open house.
It will be sponsored by UL Lafayette’s MSTC in conjunction with American Pollution Control, a spill response company, and The Response Group, which provides emergency response preparedness consulting.
Instructors for the training courses will be provided by the two companies, Gunter said.
“MSTC is going to be provide the classrooms and (training areas) and some support, and these two companies are bringing in all the spill response equipment and expertise,” he said.
The courses will center on how key aspects of spill response are intended to function as a single integrated system during a spill, Gunter said.
Classroom instruction and training will include subjects such as boat handling, air monitoring and equipment deployment. Topics like incident and resource management and tracking the spill will also be covered.
For more information, contact UL Lafayette’s Marine Survival Training Center at mstc@louisiana.edu or (337)‐262‐5929.