Program Overview

DOT PHMSA ALERT Rail Car Training

Course Description

The Center for Rural Development (CRD) has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT PHMSA) and has partnered with the All Hazards Training Center (AHTC) to provide hazardous materials training for volunteer and remote emergency responders. This training is specifically for responses to incidents that involve rail shipments of crude oil, ethanol, and other flammable liquids.

By DOT mandate, All Hazards trainers can present this workshop at your location at no cost. This training is recommended for first responders, law enforcement, emergency management personnel, and other community stakeholders, including railroad representatives.

Topics Discussed During Training

• Rail car design features and aspects of construction that would impact response strategies
• Characteristics of chemicals and toxicology focusing on crude oil, ethanol, and other flammable liquids
• Hazardous materials recognition and identification strategies
• Offensive, defensive, and non-intervention response strategies for fire and spill incidents
• Hands-on scenarios using a mock rail car to emphasize the objectives of the training

Requirements for Hosting Rail Car Incident Response Training

• Facilities must provide a classroom that will accommodate a class size of 20 (min) – 40 (max) people
• An adjacent open area (such as a parking lot) to accommodate the 14-foot mock rail car used in the hands-on activities
• Demand for the course is anticipated to be high, so your ability to be flexible in scheduling will help assure that we can accommodate your request.