Ride the Rails
Every fire department with railroad tracks within its jurisdiction or mutual aid response area needs to be fully aware of what hazards are being transported on those tracks. According to rail authorities, there are even more reasons to be prepared if a fire department has a rail yard with tank cars and tanker trucks within its territory.
Railroad tank cars frequently carry hazardous materials that are categorized as toxic by inhalation, or TIH. These chemicals, including chlorine and anhydrous ammonia could have disastrous affects on first responders and surrounding communities if leaked or spilled by accident or terrorist attack.
The Dow Chemical Co. and Union Pacific Railroad are working together to improve community awareness and preparedness along chemical transportation routes. Initially, Dow implemented the Responsible Care Community Awareness and Emergency Response program for communities where it has manufacturing plants. Subsequently, Dow teamed with the Union Pacific Railroad to sponsor Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response, or TRANSCAER, Training Tours. The tours offer emergency responders free, hands-on training about railroad hazards and safety protocols.
This is the third year that TRANSCAER has offered the one-day sessions along its key transportation routes. The tour began in April in Alexandria, La., and ended the first week of May west of Chicago.
According to Mike Stephenson, emergency services and security leader for Dow’s New Jersey properties, the TRANSCAER team stopped in 10 communities along the route and trained more than 560 community emergency responders.
“It‘s part of our continuing commitment to reach out to the first responders and get them well prepared for better response and safety of the community,” he said.
The training tour is made up of 10 rail cars, each with a specific purpose. Two railcars are set up as classrooms, while several others offer hands-on equipment training, hazmat training and advanced interactive emergency response drills.
When the TRANSCAER train arrives in a rail yard, local participants are separated into five different modules. The basic tank car module demonstrates how emergency responders can identify and resolve slow leaks with ordinary tools. An empty chlorine tank car is available for closer inspection. A third module focuses on how to respond to TIH events and flammable gases. The fourth module puts attendees on a flat car fitted with several samples of protective housings found atop tank cars. Instructors demonstrate how to deal with common water and air leaks. The fifth module deals with tanker-truck emergencies that can be found in rail yards.
Stephenson said that each of the instructors on this train also is an emergency responder who is on call 24/7 in the event of a railroad incident. “These instructors are the same faces that firefighters are going to see responding to their call,” he said.
Several other railroads offer similar training, check out TRANSCAER for other training opportunities.
Related Topics: Janet Wilmoth, Hazmat, Training
May 30th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Pre-9/11/2001 I used to receive a listing of the chemicals (car-loads and empties) that came through my local juristiction on a semi-annual basis from the Delaware & Hudson Railway Company which is now a division of the Canadian Pacific Railroad System. We have a railroad yard owned by Canadian Pacific with an intermodal terminal operated by Norfolk Southern and a shortline track owned by the Reading and Northern Railroad.
Afer the demise of ConRail, the D&H took over the operations in my juristiction and located their office in my town, so I had better one-on one access to their personnel, after asking the train-master what the railroad was carrying through in the way of chemicals, he replied “anythanig and everything in the DoT ERG” as per specifics I was directed to contact their marketing department, they knew the answer as to the specifics, so I didn’t have to train for “everything and anything in the DoT ERG.
But now, post-9/11/2001, all that info is regarded as private and cannot be released even to emergency response organizations because of terrorism concerns.
To get a sampling of what is coming through now my only other recompense is to sit track-side and mark down whatever placards I see when a train passes by or sits in the yard.
I would hope that the railroads change their thinking to emergency responders, that we’re on their side when it comes to protecting the public and the railroad.
John J. Cudo, Coordinator, Taylor Borough Emergency Management Agency, Taylor, PA
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:26 am
When I joined our local fire department there was a story that circulated at the time that there had been a spill on the rail line that went through our town. The reason for the story was becuase of the confrontation between the FD and the rail company. Apparently there was a bit of a confrontation between the Chief and the rail representative. Where could a person find information concerning who has jurisdiction over what during a rail incident? I see no mention of this in your article. Although your article does suggest a willingness to work together.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
This is in response to the question/statement posed with regard to getting information about hazmat shipments that are transported by rail through a specific communit. These are referred to as a Commodity Flow Study, and this information is available to fire departments and other agencies for emergency planning purposes. The TRANSCAER program is one way to access this information. Go to the website to find locate your regional coordinator. Each of the Class 1 railroads also has a someone from their hazmat safety department who can assist. The Association of American Railroad Circular OT 55 - HazMat Operating Practices includes a form for requesting commodity flow information..
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