Valero ERT Corporate Rescue School Trains on the USS Lexington

Training takes different forms at Valero. Sometimes it’s held in training rooms, other times it’s done virtually, and yet sometimes it’s done rappelling off an old warship in the Corpus Christi Bay while hovering over a swarm of jellyfish.

This is what refinery employees who attended the Valero Emergency Response Team (ERT) Corporate Rescue School encountered recently. One hundred employees from 10 different refineries participated in the training held aboard the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Organizers selected the historic warship as the training site because of its confined spaces similar to those found in refineries. First-time attendees began the week-long program with a 50-hour rope operations course. Midweek, additional employees attended a separate ‘refresher’ course. All participants trained in high-angle and confined space rescue training, practicing with both a Sked stretcher and a Stokes basket​. These exercises involved securely strapping in the injured person for safe transport.

At Valero, emergency response teams continue to work on building strong relationships with outside response personnel and practice regular drills and assessments to promote response readiness in support of Valero’s Goal Zero program.

We appreciate all the employees who volunteer their time to be members of Valero’s ERT.