DGAC's 30 Greatest Accomplishments

#2 The Birth of DGAC's Training Program in 1988

A Mission to Educate
DGAC's founders originally hammered out a statement of goals and objectives for the Council in the 1970s. Though the wording has changed from time to time over the last 30 years, the spirit of the document has remained the same.

Today, the mission states that "DGAC promotes the safe transportation of hazardous materials/dangerous goods globally by providing education, assistance and information to the private and public sectors."

The association's vision states that "DGAC will be recognized by our membership, our students, the regulated community at large and regulatory authorities as ... the premier provider of quality training for the transportation of hazardous materials/dangerous goods."

The September 21, 1987 issue of the Courier discusses the
purchase of the training program.
Click the image to read the story.

To that end, in 1987 the DGAC Board of Directors began negotiations with the Government Services Institute (GSI) for the purchase of their training program. The purchase was approved September 4, 1987 and Vice President of GSI Gary Groman agreed to teach the courses under contract with DGAC. At the time GSI and Groman were recognized as being among the very best in the training business, if not the best.

The following year, 24 courses were scheduled throughout the US and students from around the country attended in droves. In those early days, Groman was responsible for the courses (content, methodology and presentation) and HMAC took care of the administrative tasks (scheduling, venues, promotion and registrations).

Current DGAC Chairman Steve Schulte of Ecolab remembers those early classes, which he took while employed by. "Gary's teaching style was very much that of the preacher," said Schulte. "The Gospel of Hazardous Materials according to Rev. Groman. He didn't like anyone talking when he talked. He commanded respect and he usually got it."

When it came time for HMAC and Groman to part ways, one of the questions on everyone's mind was if HMAC could find a trainer who would maintain the high standard he established. "When I began the process of becoming the principal classroom trainer, it was intimidating to follow an icon like Gary," said Vaughn Arthur who joined the staff in 1989 and is current DGAC Director of Education and Training.

"It was a little like trying to be the guy that follows Joe Montana. His reputation was formidable and well-deserved. I had not originally set out to become a hazmat instructor—I didn't even know such a career existed—and so I had not done any of the things one normally does to prepare for that particular career. It just sort of happened when a friend asked me if I would like to interview for an opening at DGAC and arranged a meeting for me with Paul Rankin (the DGAC president at the time). Considering how it all came about, I've often thought how unbelievably fortunate I am to have ended up with an employer like DGAC and a mentor like Gary Groman."

The cover of an early edition of DGAC's ABC Textbook.

Setting the Standard
DGAC has long attempted to set the standard for quality training in the industry. "The major differences that set DGAC above all others are the course content, DGAC’s working relationship with PHMSA, and the working knowledge and techniques displayed by the instructors," said Bill Reinike of Kraton Polymers.

Reinike has been attending training with DGAC for the past 18 years, and over that time he's experienced all of our instructors. "I have taken quite a few classes with Vaughn Arthur," said Reinike. "Vaughn knows the regulations intimately. He is patient and willing to address any and all questions. I always look forward to seeing Vaughn when I sign up for classes."

Through the years, all of our trainers have had a passion for teaching. "There's nothing like seeing the expression on a face in the audience when something that has been confusing suddenly makes sense to them," said Arthur. "It is a wonderful sense of accomplishment and makes all the travel and time away from family worthwhile."

The latest edition of DGAC's ABC Textbook.

The Mission Continues
Twenty years after the birth of DGAC's training program the mission continues. DGAC debuted two new courses last year and is constantly re-evaluating current courses for relevancy and excellence. The face of the industry has changed much over the past two decades, yet DGAC remains committed to its objective of providing high-quality training.

"Technology has changed so much since I started with DGAC in 1989," said Arthur. "There are so many ways of delivering training today that we didn't even dream of back then. That trend is bound to continue and we'll see where it takes us. But for me personally, the classroom is where my heart is. There is still no technology that can replace the interaction between an audience and a trainer."

A big part of that objective is DGAC's leadership role in the partnership with PHMSA to develop best practices for instructors of dangerous goods training programs. Visit us next week to learn more about this partnership and what it means for the future of training.