OREANDA-NEWS. Union Pacific Railroad conducted training for 39 emergency response personnel from eight states November 12 - 14. The training focused on sharpening the emergency responders' skills to better prepare them in the unlikely event of a crude-by-rail incident in or near their respective communities.

Union Pacific proactively reaches out to fire departments as well as other emergency responders along its lines to offer comprehensive training to first responders in communities where the railroad operates. The company annually trains approximately 2,500 local, state and federal first-responders on ways to minimize the impact of a potential derailment. Union Pacific has trained nearly 38,000 public responders and almost 7,500 private responders (shippers and contractors) since 2003. This includes classroom and hands-on training.

The recently completed training covered a variety of safety subjects, including identification of tank car types that transport crude, tank car fittings, tank car construction, chemical and physical properties of the different types of crude oil and crude oil response precautions. Participants received hands-on experience in assessing tank car damage, making certain on-site repairs, controlling the release of crude oil from damaged rail cars and crude oil fire suppression techniques.

Class members participated in a simulated crude oil fire. The simulation helped students understand how the railroad would work with them in an emergency, and how to work safely while on railroad property.

The three-day, 24-hour courses were held at the Association of American Railroad's Transportation Technology Center near Pueblo, Colorado. Union Pacific paid for all attendees' expenses, with no cost to communities or organizations. So far in 2014, the railroad has trained 279 emergency responders on crude oil safety at the Pueblo facility.

Emergency response personnel from the following organizations attended the course:

Arkansas:

Ft. Smith Fire Department, Fort Smith

California:

Salinas Fire Department, Salinas

West Sacramento Fire Department, West Sacramento

Cal Fire - Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, San Luis Obispo

Davis Fire Department, Davis

Placer Hills Fire Department/Placer County Hazmat, Meadow Vista

Roseville Fire Department, Roseville

Sacramento Fire Department, Sacramento

Truckee Fire Protection District, Truckee

Illinois:

Salem Fire Protection District, Salem

Iowa:

Northwood Volunteer Fire Company, Northwood

Marion Fire Department, Marion

Minnesota:

Albert Lea Fire Department, Albert Lea

Nebraska:

Hastings Fire Department, Hastings

Oregon:

Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Portland

Utah:

North View Fire District, North Ogden

Ogden Fire Department, Ogden