Page 7 - jul-aug 2023
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LP gas board | comments & reviews
by: R DeWayne Whiddon
he Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board with only seven questions. All seven of the
is proud to announce the addition questions must be answered correctly in order
of a new inspector to fill the vacant to pass the exam. This differs from all the other
TSoutheastern Territory. Keith Kirkland Board exams that only require 70 percent
is in training to become the Board’s newest correct answers to pass.
inspector. Keith has a service background in I would like to stress to all individuals
both LP and Natural gas. He has a grueling taking this exam to be extra diligent before
year of training ahead. First is 14 weeks at the submitting an answer to a question. Once
Montgomery Police Academy followed by two an answer is submitted there is no option
weeks of fire investigator training. to change the answer later. Some of the
He will then begin his on-the-job training test takers are getting in a hurry and only
phase under the guidance of several of our spending three to four minutes taking the
current inspectors. During the on-the-job practical exam. Their haste inevitably leads
training portion, he will learn the intricacies of to them failing this exam. As with all tests
inspecting every aspect of LP-Gas equipment one should carefully read the question in its
and operations. He will also be getting entirety, read all the answers, then reread the
introduced to everyone and becoming familiar question before finally choosing an answer and
with their individual operations. I hope submitting it. Hopefully with due diligence in
everyone will join me in welcoming him to the reading the questions and answers, test pass
Board. rates will steadily climb.
We also have a retirement to announce. As a reminder, weekly testing on
Inspector Darrell Smith is retiring after almost Wednesday is conducted at the building next-
16 years of dedicated service as the Northwest door to the Board offices. We have signs
territory inspector. Darrell has been an to direct test takers to the parking area as
asset to the LP-Gas Board, and we hate to well as the door to the testing facility. Exam
see him leave. Darrell and I started with the participants should leave all cell phones and
board around the same time in 2007. Darrell other electronic devices in their vehicles and
started in the middle of June, and I came on only bring one of the five approved books to
board in August. So, it is bittersweet to me in the test building. Those approved materials are
announcing his retirement. Darrell has been a NFPA 54, NFPA 58, NFPA 1192, and the LP-Gas
fixture in the Northwest territory often going Board Administrative Code and the LP-Gas
above and beyond the call of duty. He has Board Laws. The Board only provides copies of
been a dedicated mentor and friend to all in the Board Laws and Administrative code books;
the industry. His shoes will truly be hard to fill. all other resource materials must be supplied
All the board members and staff here at the by the exam participant.
LP-Gas Board wish him all the best and many The next quarterly meeting of the
happy years of retirement. Alabama LP-Gas Board will be July 13, 2023,
In other news the board has implemented at 10:00 a.m. at 770 S. McDonough St,
the new electronic practical exam. This exam Montgomery, AL. A good source of current
does away with the inspector based practical information on board activities is available
during testing. It is my hope that this will at our website at www.lpgb.alabama.gov. As
alleviate some of the nervousness in taking always, everyone is welcome to stop by the
the practical exam. This test is a pass/fail exam Board offices whenever in the area.■
7 Alabama Propane Gas Association | July / August 2023
