Blue Grass Army Depot Provides Enhanced Emergency Response

The Blue Grass project has a very well-trained and skilled emergency response team, ready to respond to just about any kind of accident or incident one can imagine on a large, industrial construction site. But back-up is always available when requested.

As a tenant on the Blue Grass Army Depot, the project partners with the depot emergency response department to provide the best possible response in the unlikely event of site emergencies, be they medical, fire, contained-space rescue, falls or other situations. Each partner organization participates in cross-training, in order for depot personnel to become familiar with the site and working with each other.

“We work really well together,” said Josh Spicer, Blue Grass project craft safety advocate. “Several of us know each other through the community as well, like from area fire departments, and our skills just mesh seamlessly. We’re in contact with each other on pretty much a daily basis.”

The Blue Grass project response team takes initial control of a situation, but can request response from the depot if they deem it necessary. When the depot response team arrives, they take over as the authority having jurisdiction, and they coordinate with the site team. This allows for the depot’s advanced capabilities to be added to the site’s basic ones to enhance the emergency response presence.

“The Blue Grass team keeps us informed of daily site activities so we can stay mentally pre-planned each day,” said James Bastin, depot assistant fire chief. “Our working relationship with the team is excellent.”

Plans are also in place to enhance the depot’s existing capability to provide quick fire-suppression response times to the Blue Grass site.

The partnership between the two entities and their willingness and desire to do things right and always strive to improve is very important to Bastin.

“Our number-one concern in this effort is the safety of the Blue Grass plant workers.”