From paramedic to offshore safety management, Corey Dorn has committed his career to helping others. With a career spanning more than two decades, Dorn discovered H&P by word of mouth, but he was unfamiliar with the oil and gas industry.
From Picayune, Mississippi, Dorn originally pursued a marketing management degree. During high school, he worked at a sporting goods store and aspired to open his own store someday. However, his path took an unexpected turn when he encountered ambulance department personnel at the sporting goods store.
“People from the ambulance department would come in, and I would work on their sporting gear like archery equipment, and things like that. I thought it was cool what they did,” Dorn recalled. This newfound interest led him to pursue a career in emergency medical services (EMS) as a paramedic.
Dorn's venture into EMS was not without its challenges. At the time, there was a surplus of paramedics, making it difficult to secure a spot in EMS programs. Once he secured a spot and graduated, he initially worked part-time before becoming a full-time paramedic. Several years later his journey at H&P as a safety medic in the Gulf Coast began.
Dorn's journey at H&P began in April of 2001. Dorn’s transition to the offshore oil and gas industry as a safety medic, where he learned that most of his work involved ensuring safety, with only a fraction dedicated to providing medical treatment. His career began on Rig 91, and Dorn vividly remembers his first trip offshore.
“The first time I took a helicopter run out to the rig and I stepped off the helicopter, and then you get out there and there's nothing around you,” he said. “What did I just get myself into? Luckily, they take really good care of you while you’re out there.”
Dorn's journey at H&P continued, marked by resilience and adaptability. He initially planned to work offshore for five years and then transition back to a more traditional lifestyle. However, 23 years later, Dorn has visited numerous rigs and experienced changes in his role, transitioning from a safety medic to an HSE specialist. In this current role, he and his team manage safety medics and focus on safety management, investigations, audits and assessments.
Reflecting on his transformation, Dorn noted, "I'm more of a behind-the-scenes person.”
Dorn emphasized the hands-on nature of his work, and he remains dedicated to creating a safer work environment for employees to spend quality time with their families. He also expressed his satisfaction with the collaborative aspect of his current position, working with various teams to enhance safety programs and processes for the benefit of all H&P employees.
Dorn’s drive to help others runs deep. While taking Change Champions he talked about a defining moment in his life.
“During my speech for Change Champions, I spoke about when I was in high school, my dad and I were on our way to church one evening when we came upon a wreck where a truck had run off the road into a ditch, there was a lady and a small child in the truck. My dad and I stopped to help; we were the first ones there,” he said. “We helped the woman and child out of the vehicle and gave them with our jackets to keep them warm because it was raining and cold. We stayed with them until the ambulance and fire services arrived. This, I felt, was the moment that the desire to help and serve people was instilled in me. I thought about this as my defining moment, and it was the beginning of the building blocks to get me where I am today.”
Dorn's journey at H&P is a remarkable story of transformation and dedication. From his beginnings in marketing management to his role as an HSE specialist, he exemplifies the opportunities for growth and success that can come from embracing change and following one's passion.