By Michael Van Cassell
The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne)
CHEYENNE — In the event of a large fire, city officials could get help from an unexpected place — Frontier Refining.
The company has had a fire department, but until a few months ago its firefighters were only certified to battle blazes in an industrial setting.
With training completed in April, the Frontier Refinery Fire Brigade has 27 firefighters now certified for work an urban setting.
That means in the event of a large-scale blaze — like the Wyoming Home and Mary’s Bakeshop fire downtown in December 2004 — firefighters from the refinery can come into the city and staff stations for backup.
Alek Prettyman, safety supervisor for Frontier Refining, said the training was done so everyone is on the same page.
“That way we could speak the same language,” he added.
Training took place over the course of two years.
Prettyman explained that firefighters could only train about once a month. They used the Cheyenne Fire and Rescue Training Center.
Experience in the industrial setting helped refinery firefighters in that training, Prettyman said.
“A lot of the skills that are there are skills across the board,” he added.
Urban firefighting skills that refinery firefighters had to learn included those in battling an interior structure fire — forced entry, ventilation and search and rescue for victims.
The refinery also has six trained emergency medical technicians.
Prettyman said the brigade has yet to go into the city to help.
Jeff Pallak, public information officer for Cheyenne Fire and Rescue, said the more the better.
“We have a good working relationship with them; this should just add value to it,” he added.
Pallak said the city, Laramie County, the refinery and the local military bases all help each other.
Cheyenne Fire and Rescue can go into Frontier Refining to help with fires there, and now firefighters from the brigade can lend industrial expertise to situations in the city.
“We don’t hesitate to call them in if we need foam or something on a (hazardous material),” Pallak said.