Emergency response workers in Texas’ remote Permian Basin  — many of whom are volunteers  — may have to travel up to an hour to reach an incident. These first responders at times are working with limited infrastructure and resources. Increased activity from energy production and economic development in the region has increased traffic on area roads, adding to the challenge. One staggering statistic — only 2% of Texas' population is in the Permian Basin, but 11% of traffic fatalities in the state occur on roads in the area.

With the 2021 acquisitions of Concho Resources and Shell’s Permian position, ConocoPhillips expanded our position in the Permian Basin. We now hold approximately 1 million net acres across the Delaware and Midland Basins, making us one of the largest operators in the area.

“When we talked to a variety of stakeholders in the Permian Basin, one of the things we repeatedly heard was community safety is a primary concern. So, addressing that concern has quickly become one of our top priorities,” said Scott Kidwell, ConocoPhillips vice president, State Government Affairs, Stakeholder Relations and Permian Surface.

One element of this commitment to improving community safety was partnering with the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission (PBRPC) to fund a 10-year cell tower lease agreement project in Orla, Texas.

“When you are dealing with life-and-death situations, the ability to communicate is critical. This tower will connect multiple response agencies and allow them to better serve community members in their most vulnerable moments,” added Chloe Desjardins, advisor, Permian Stakeholder Relations. The company provided $123,000 for constructing the tower, which will support the PBRPC’s 9-1-1 Emergency Department and bring radio operability to first responders in the rural Delaware Basin. People in the area can experience unreliable cellular connectivity, a challenge that may be amplified during emergencies.

“We take our role in the community very seriously,” said ConocoPhillips’ Permian President Jack Harper. “We are grateful for the work local organizations do every day to address the specific needs of west Texas, southeast New Mexico and the surrounding areas.”

Life-saving equipment

Accidents in rural areas can pose challenges and it's vital that first responders have the best equipment to quickly address emergency situations. We partnered with the Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP), Permian Road Safety Coalition (PRSC) and industry peers to provide a $1.1 million donation to the “First Responder Life-Saving Equipment Initiative.”  This will provide life-saving equipment for first responders in 22 counties across west Texas and southeast New Mexico. Funds were used for emergency equipment such as battery-powered "jaws of life" to free people trapped in vehicles, fire extinguishers, mobile lighting tools and rescue helicopter landing zone kits. First responders also received gloves, face shields, gas detection meters and calibration tools. Each set of emergency response equipment is valued at approximately $20,000.

“This collaborative effort will ultimately save lives, and we are proud to help provide critical tools to our first responders that will enable their on-scene response in the most remote areas of the Permian Basin,” said Vanessa Rawlins, a PRSC Board Chair and ConocoPhillips Lower 48 HSE Manager.

The partnership with PSP expands an initial PRSC investment of more than $250,000 in donated equipment that began in early 2020. The PSP is a coalition of energy companies working together to improve the quality of life in the region through education, road safety, healthcare, housing and workforce development. ConocoPhillips has been involved with the PSP since its creation in 2018. Additionally, in 2021 we donated more than $100,000 to support area Crime Stoppers efforts, local law enforcement and professional and volunteer fire departments.

“Giving to rural first responders is important to us – they typically don’t receive a lot of funding but they’re responding to a lot of road accidents, helping people in critical situations. And in those moments, being able to communicate or having advanced equipment can literally mean the difference between life and death,” said ConocoPhillips’ Josh Viets, vice president, Delaware Basin.

Mental health services

Community safety can also be imperiled as a result of citizens experiencing mental health-related episodes. Since access to mental health care can often be challenging in rural areas, the PSP recently announced a healthcare initiative aimed at improving access to resources. The over $3 million initiative with West Texas Counseling & Guidance will expand mental health services, with a focus on Lea and Eddy counties in southeast New Mexico and Howard County.

“This partnership is not only expanding access to mental health care, especially in our rural counties, but it is also building a pipeline of home-grown providers, who will be more likely to stay in Permian Basin and serve our communities," said Tracee Bentley, CEO of the PSP.