Tommy Barreca is always prepared and ready for action. As far as he's concerned, however, he would rather not react. Like most firefighters and emergency responders, the Norco resident and Motiva employee prefers to train, practice, and prepare for the unexpected while hoping a need never arises.
"Responding to an emergency and assisting others is in my blood. My dad was a volunteer fire fighter. It's our way of giving back to the community, but I would prefer never to roll out. You never know what you will face when the call comes," says the Norco site Deputy Emergency Response Chief, who also serves as Assistant Chief for the town of Norco's Volunteer Fire Department.
Barreca has 38 years experience as a community volunteer fire fighter and 27 years experience with Motiva and Shell's volunteer emergency response team. Logistics Operations Maintenance Lead, he is a third-generation Norco employee and life-long Norco resident.
While he recalls answering the call for a wide range of emergencies and fires over the years, his most memorable incidents include the Destrehan-Luling ferry disaster more than 30 years ago and the Norco Refinery explosion. "I pulled people I knew out of the Mississippi River when the ferry went down and I was working at Norco the night of that situation," he says. "Those are events that stay with you for a long time."
In recognition of his experience, performance and community commitment, Norco recently christened a new state-of-the-art emergency response boat in his honor. The "M.V. Barreca," a 25-foot Boston Whaler will be used for a variety of emergency and routine activities including spill containment, fire fighting, water rescues, and debris removal near the Norco dock. Featuring a 500-gallon per minute pump capacity, the vessel is also available for regional mutual aid situations as requested by area industries, the U.S. Coast Guard and the St. Charles Parish Department of Emergency Preparedness.
According to Norco Emergency Response Coordinator Michael Mitchell, the fully equipped boat not only enhances Norco's ability for immediate response in the event of a dock fire or oil spill on the Mississippi River but also extends St. Charles Parish capabilities to address incidents on or near the waterway. "Industry and the Parish work together in emergencies," he states, noting a significant number of Norco employees, such as Barreca, are actively involved with community volunteer response groups.
"Hurricane Katrina destroyed our spill response boat," explains Motiva's Health, Safety, Security and Environmental Manager Allan Gallant. "The need to replace it created an opportunity to improve Norco's emergency tools. Now, Norco is leading the pack with a first-class vessel and an opportunity for a tribute to Tommy for his efforts over the years."
"I am honored to have a boat named after me," Barreca says. "But it's even more an honor to be associated with the emergency response team and the Norco site's commitment to protecting its employees and neighbors. Whenever Shell or Motiva has been called on to serve the Parish, we are there, just like others would be there to assist us."
Although Barreca takes pride in his volunteer contributions to his company and the community, he quickly acknowledges he doesn't have all the answers. "Emergency response is a continual learning and sharing experience," he emphasizes. "You learn something new every time you respond to a situation."
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