NORWICH – Chenango’s Emergency Management Office is inviting officials from Pennsylvania to train firemen on emergencies involving natural gas development.

Pennsylvania is a few years ahead of New York in developing its natural gas industry and its emergency officials will be sharing their expertise with local firefighters.

Earlier this month, the county’s Finance Committee announced firemen were awarded a $15,000 legislative grant for the training.

Senator Thomas W. Libous notified county officials that the grant would be issued from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

“Senator Libous gave the Chenango County Bureau of Fire a $15,000 grant for training. In this money we – along with Broome and Tioga who also received $15,000 each – can use this money to further train our emergency responders above and beyond what is available through the Office of Fire Prevention and Control,” said Emergency Management Director Matthew Beckwith. “The biggest area of concern is the training available for emergencies which happen at a natural gas drilling site.” 

Beckwith said the money will be spent on bringing Pennsylvania’s Lycoming County Emergency Management Director Craig Konkle, who has developed a course called “Wellsite Emergency for First Responders,” here to offer the training.

On April 29, Konkle will meet with Beckwith and emergency management administrators from Broome, Tioga, Cortland, Madison, Otsego and Delaware counties.

On April 30, Konkle will then come to Chenango and offer first responders here a five-hour class including members from ambulance, fire and law enforcement services.