Community Engagement
Working together with communities.
As part of our commitment to the communities most impacted by our operations and the nation at large, we actively encourage community members to become informed about natural gas and gas safety.
We at NGC recognise that building partnerships is essential to ensuring that there is collaboration and ongoing communication between us and our communities. One of the main objectives of this is to encourage community members to become active participants in their own safety.
Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER): NGC’s CAER programme is aimed at ensuring the safety of communities along our pipeline routes by equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge to prevent accidents or respond to unforeseen emergencies.
Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER)
Due to the nature of natural gas transportation, we at NGC give maximum priority to safety and emergency preparedness. NGC’s CAER programme was derived from our “duty of care” for communities impacted by our pipeline construction and operational activities. CAER provides communities and schools located close to critical installations with information on natural gas safety, the inherent risks, mitigation measures and response techniques in the event of an unforeseen natural gas-related emergency. Our representatives visit these schools and communities and provide safety assessments, follow up drills, safety equipment and training workshops which comprise basic Fire-Fighting, First Aid and CPR.
NGC uses multiple methods of local outreach in the communities in which construction is taking place to ensure that residents feel informed and have a forum to voice any concerns. One way of doing this is through the use of communication centres during major construction projects. These centres provide points of contact for one-to-one discussion and a convenient way for communities to voice any concerns that arise. We also regularly hold community meetings and distribute brochures, flyers and other documents containing important safety information to areas in which we are carrying out works.
NGC has also worked in partnership with various regional corporations and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, by inviting Disaster Management Teams (DMTs) to attend lectures about the gas industry and by forming Community Emergency Response Trained (CERT) Volunteers. These volunteers are trained by Trinidad and Tobago Voluntary Emergency Response Trainers (TTVERT) over five-day periods in modules such as Disaster Medical Operations, Fire Safety, Search and Rescue, CERT Organization, Disaster Psychology, Terrorism and a Disaster Simulation Exercise /Drill.
Natural Gas Literacy Programme: As part of our goal to create an informed public, NGC has developed a Natural Gas Literacy Programme aimed at students from the primary to tertiary level, as well as special programmes directed at the general public, including Tobagonians.
Natural Gas Literacy Programme
The Natural Gas Literacy and Public Education programme is driven by the link we see between our role as an industry developer and the creation of an informed public.
NGC actively promotes natural gas awareness across all ages and regions of Trinidad and Tobago. The literacy programme specifically targets students from the primary to tertiary level across Trinidad and Tobago. The programme is also aimed at raising natural gas awareness among the Tobagonian public as NGC is a relative newcomer to the Tobagonian market.
Primary Education:
A Natural Gas Lesson Plan has been developed for standards 2 and 3 primary school students across Trinidad and Tobago.
The plan uses the characters “Monkey” and “Iguana” to provide important messages such as gas safety and the uses of natural gas. The characters were designed by NGC and inspired by the two animals most commonly seen along our Rights of Way.
To further enhance the efficacy of the programme, NGC has developed material to train primary school teachers across Trinidad and Tobago in implementing the lesson plan.
Secondary Education:
At the 2008 Niherst Sci-TechKnoFest, NGC launched its Gas Rush Game Competition for secondary school students. The game quizzes participants on trivia related to natural gas and the energy sector with the goal of teaching the fundamentals of natural gas in a fun, yet meaningful way.
NGC then strengthened the programme by taking it nation-wide. Students from all across Trinidad and Tobago were invited to represent their schools and compete in the nationally broadcast tournament.
Tertiary Education:
NGC has also partnered with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) to target tertiary-level students through a series of workshops first hosted in 2006. The workshops include presentations, demonstrations and field trips which provide students with a basic tertiary-level understanding of the natural gas industry. Each year between 150-200 students participate in the workshops.
Tobago:
In keeping with our goal of increasing natural gas literacy in Tobago, NGC carries out various programmes across the island. This includes participating in the NIHERST/THA Science Fairs for primary and secondary students and disseminating informational material.
During the implementation of the Tobago Pipeline Project, NGC installed an Information Booth at the Gulf City Lowlands Mall which was visited by over 1500 persons. We also hosted an exhibit booth for the general public in the Scarborough area and visited community groups and schools throughout the island.
The primary goal of these activities is to disseminate information on natural gas and our operations in Tobago. However, they also give residents opportunities to have their questions and concerns addressed by NGC personnel.