In light of the events of the recent past involving the kidnapping and death of a Sidney High School teacher by two men who recently moved to the region and who possessed significant criminal histories, as well as the recognition of a steadily increasing rise in specific types of crimes that have flooded the court dockets of the Justice and City Courts in both Montana and North Dakota such as the death of a Florida man working in the oil and gas industry, the president of the MonDak chapter of the American Petroleum Institute has taken the unprecedented action of demanding that regional oil concerns and secondary businesses serving the industry step up their efforts to more closely screen potential employees. Within his recent announcement the API president encouraged all employers in the region, not just those in the oil and gas industries, to take positive steps to deny employment to those people whose criminal history or personal background represent an unreasonable risk to the safety of the community.
As outlined in a statement made by MonDak API President James Fehlauer, "safety should always be the primary concern of the petroleum industry as we seek to extract precious resources from the area. The oil field professionals who have come to this particular region have been faced with enormous challenges as they seek to unlock the area's natural resources and deliver them to market, but our responsibility for safety doesn't stop with just making sure that we do our jobs in a safe and responsible manner. It also extends to all companies operating here in adopting HR policies that assure that those we attract to the area and whom we employ to work in the industry, do not present a danger to the local community through either their actions or as a direct result of their personal habits and lifestyles which may enhance the likelihood of criminal or dangerous behavior."
MonDak API is one of the more proactive associations in the country and is comprised largely of industry professionals who have lived in the area for a long period of time, but as cited by the president, "API recognizes that economic upturns such as the one we are seeing unfold in the Bakken region can exert significant stress on a local community that exceeds its ability to cope. Pressures on infrastructure, increases in traffic density, uncontrolled population influxes, housing shortages, rising costs of living, and many other factors, combine to change the face of local communities. Add to these challenges an influx of new arrivals who may not be affiliated with the industry, but who are seeking work in the oil field or secondary businesses, some of whom may have a questionable personal background or even an extensive criminal history, and the stage is set for disaster." The API president went on to say "those of us within the association recognize that we cannot eliminate all such threats to a community, but we can call for the adoption of human resources policies that limit the likelihood that someone who does not meet our criteria for safety or whose personal integrity fails to meet our standards of acceptability, is denied employment. Making sure that these elevated criteria for personal integrity are widely known throughout the nation will serve to dissuade would-be prospects who do not meet our standards, from relocating to the region. Such measures are important in reducing the number of undesirable people who come to the area. With the adoption of some simple changes in our regional hiring practices that seek to identify past criminal history, or disclose unacceptable personal habits including drug use or excessive alcohol reliance that could represent increased risk to the community, the industry and the region's businesses, could take a big step toward enhancing community security. The members and leadership of MonDak API are calling upon all our industry members, suppliers, and secondary businesses to adopt these simple measures in order to make sure that we do everything within our power to serve as good stewards of the natural resources and to assure that those we employ respect and revere the safety and dignity of the citizens who live in the community. The vast majority of people who have recently arrived in the northern plains are good people, who are simply looking for an opportunity, but we should make sure, as an industry, that we are doing everything we can to mitigate risk to the community by excluding those who don't meet our standards for personal integrity, while embracing the vast majority of new arrivals who do add to our community in a positive way."
In addition to the call for enhanced human resources screening, Fehlauer also announced the adoption of a new educational program developed by API that is specifically designed to encourage more local involvement in the oil industry. In his statement, Fehlauer disclosed that; "the MonDak API has recently initiated a professional training program that will result in the award of a basic, intermediate and advanced certificate of training in oil field operations. This program is offered using both distance learning classes and week-long field training seminars in the region. The basic certificate program consists of 25 individual courses, along with a one-week field training session, and is designed specifically for local residents who are interested in acquiring the requisite skills associated with entry level positions within the oil industry. The intermediate and advanced certificate curricula are focused on enhancing the professional skills and knowledge of those already working within the profession. The goals of the program are centered on improving safety and in providing local citizens with a formalized path to employment within the oil and gas industry. The benefit of this program to the local community rests in a concerted effort to assure that the industry provides as many jobs as possible to people who already live in the Montana or North Dakota regions."
Fehlauer went on to say; "the adoption of this professional training program by API is a big step forward in assuring that the local community has a prescribed program of education that prepares people for careers in the oil and gas industry, and it is also a significant step in the right direction in mitigating our reliance on labor from outside the area." In cooperation with the Eastern Montana Institute and other colleges and universities participating in the venture, API will be sponsoring the new training program in oil field operations beginning this coming spring. In his closing statements, Fehlauer said, "It is our hope that the long term impact of this training program will diminish our need to hire people from outside the community and assure that local people who desire to work within the profession, have access to the training required for such careers."
In response to the announcement by the API, Sidney Mayor, Bret Smelser commented "as the city and its residents continue the healing process, it is helpful to see that the energy industry is taking positive steps to mitigate future risks to our community and to encourage secondary businesses to follow suit. I greatly appreciate the overture by the MonDak API and I applaud the leadership of its president in taking positive action. As we all understand, there are consequences to unanticipated growth. Some of it good, and some of it heart breaking. As we continue our efforts to plan, adapt, and look to the future, it's nice to know that we have responsible members of the energy industry who are doing what they can to take positive steps that help to assure our prosperity and preserve our safety. I am specifically pleased to note the adoption of a new training program designed to make career opportunities available to local residents and mitigate the reliance on outside sources of labor. As a member of the Oil and Gas Board of the State of Montana and the MonDak Energy Alliance, I will be carrying this message forward and lobbying state legislators to enact new laws that further enhance the safety of our citizens.”
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