Building Safe and Sustainable Communities
When Enbridge builds pipelines, one of our top priorities is ensuring the safety of our employees, contractors, and the public. Our goal is always zero safety-related incidents, and we are committed to leading the industry in the area of safety practices.
To reinforce our commitment, Enbridge launched our new Safe Community Program in 2008.
With an initial investment of $3 million over the next three years, the program will provide financial support to emergency first-responders in communities that are located near our pipeline rights-of-way across Canada and the U.S. The support will benefit first-responders such as police departments, firefighters (including volunteer firefighters), emergency medical services providers, and other emergency health care providers by helping them acquire safety equipment, deliver safety training programs, and host volunteer recognition events.
“The Safe Community Program is just one way for Enbridge to give back to the thousands of men and women who help keep Enbridge right-of-way communities safe,” said Mike Koby, Director, Operations Services, Enbridge Liquids Pipelines. “It’s about ensuring that these organizations have the training and resources to not only respond to potential emergencies involving our staff and contractors, but to provide a vital service for the greater community.”
This initiative is based on a similar program that Enbridge launched in the U.S. several years ago. In 2002, Enbridge established the 9-11 Fund to commemorate the heroes and victims of the September 11, 2001, tragedy. Under the 9-11 Fund, Enbridge provides grants to first-responders in the U.S. communities in which we operate, enabling them to purchase specialized equipment and training.
“As we’ve seen in the U.S., these first-responder organizations are putting the funding to very good use,” said Larry Springer, Manager, Public Affairs, Enbridge Energy Partners, in Houston, Texas. “It makes good business sense to enhance the capabilities of these hard-working emergency responders. And, at Enbridge, it’s not just about grants. We build close relationships with these organizations and know that, in the event of an emergency, the partnerships we have established will result in a well-coordinated and effective response to any incident.”
As part of the Safe Community Program, Enbridge is also providing significant funding to the Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS), an air ambulance service organization. The funding will help STARS purchase two new emergency rescue helicopters in 2008 and 2009. Enbridge’s support also includes strategic guidance, as two of Enbridge’s executives sit on the STARS Board of Directors.
“Our ongoing support of STARS is part of our overall commitment to building sustainable communities,” said Steve Wuori, Executive Vice-President, Enbridge Liquids Pipelines. “STARS provides a vital service to rural communities across Alberta. Through this partnership, we’re helping to keep our friends and neighbours safer across the province.”
For many remote western Canadian communities, air ambulance services can mean the difference between life and death. STARS was established in Alberta in 1985 to reduce the number of critical care deaths that were being seen across the province – largely due to the time involved in reaching rural communities and evacuating patients to larger hospitals in Calgary and Edmonton. Providing emergency air ambulance services, the organization completed 1,428 missions in Alberta in 2007, and a total of 16,000 missions since 1985.
“Enbridge is committed to the health and safety of our employees and the communities in which we live and work,” said Wuori. “We never want to hear that anyone has been hurt at any of our facilities and we take it personally if an accident occurs. Prevention and preparedness are key to us keeping our people safe and, by backing up the numerous health and safety initiatives and protocols we already have in place, we believe that our new Safe Community Program and ongoing partnership with STARS will contribute to the quality of life in our right-of-way communities across North America.”