Norfolk Southern Corporation’s (NS) safety train hosted 195 area emergency responders who received advanced training in safely handling rail incidents involving hazardous materials when the train recently visited Chattanooga, Tenn.
“The safety train is a mobile technical training center – a vocational school – for the continuing education of first responders and representatives of government agencies who support Norfolk Southern’s commitment to incident-free handling of hazardous materials,” said David Schoendorfer, Norfolk Southern’s system manager hazardous materials. “It’s a whistle-stop train that helps keep our communities safe.”
“Norfolk Southern has a great safety record, but in the unlikely event of a train derailment involving hazmat, we want to make sure the communities we serve are prepared,” Schoendorfer added. “We are focusing on areas where we have significant hazmat shipments. It’s a best business practice to help with preparedness.”
The training was staged on a track near the Chattanooga Fire Department, where emergency responders chose from among three days of free training that included instructor-led and hands-on learning. The train includes two boxcars converted into classrooms, four types of railroad tank cars used in transporting all types of chemicals, and two specially equipped flat cars.
Emergency responders from 14 Chattanooga-area and nearby northwest Georgia agencies attended the event, including the Chattanooga Police Department, Walker County Emergency Services, West Polk County Fire & Rescue, Tricommunity Volunteer Fire Department, Chattanooga Public Works Department, and the fire departments of Chattanooga, Red Bank, Rhea County, Wolf Creek, Bradley County, Soddy Daisy, Hayes, Centertown, and Dayton. Also represented were railroad emergency response contractors Marion Environmental Inc., SWS Environmental Services, and Hepaco.
Captain Chris Cordes of the Chattanooga Fire Department remarked, "This is a great training opportunity. You can learn about tank cars and boxcars in the classroom, but nothing beats the hands-on training we received here. When you come to a derailment, it's obviously not sitting on the tracks nice and neat. You have to know what you're looking at, and this really helps us get a grasp of what we might be faced with."
The train is visiting 18 cities in 13 states during its tour this year. To date, 1,710 emergency responders have received professional instruction on the train. The train’s next stop will be in Slidell, La., November 8-10. To register in advance for training there or at another stop scheduled this year, visit www.joinNSoar.com and click on “Training” and “Download Invitation” near the bottom of the page.
The safety train is part of NS’ “Operation Awareness and Response” initiative that connects emergency first responders in NS communities with information and training resources.