NBSR Hosts Rail Safety Training for 200 Responders
July 7 through July 12, 2014, over 200 people from First/Emergency Responders along the New Brunswick Southern railway (NBSR) including RST, NB Emergency Measures Organization, Saint John Police Department, Fire Departments (Saint John, Grand Bay Westfield, Welsford, Kennebecasis Valley, Fredericton Junction) and Transport Canada participated in tank car safety training sessions held in Fredericton Junction, Grand Bay Westfield, and Saint John.
NBSR hosts rail safety training for 200 responders in Saint John. |
The training program has been almost two years in the making and included hands-on training with a general purpose railroad tank car that has been converted to a classroom on wheels. It is the first time this program has been provided in the area. NBSR brought the program to New Brunswick in collaboration with Railway Association of Canada (RAC), CN Rail and the Chemical Industry Association of Canada (CIAC). The program included training from dangerous goods specialist Jean-Pierre Couture who has 37 years of experience in the transportation of Dangerous Goods.
The program is part of TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) is a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities to prepare for and to respond to a possible hazardous materials transportation incident. TRANSCAER® members consist of volunteer representatives from the chemical manufacturing, transportation, distributor, and emergency response industries, as well as the government.
Purpose:
- To increase cooperation between emergency response agencies and the chemical and transportation industries in planning for and responding to dangerous goods transportation incidents
- To reduce public concern about the hazards and risks associated with transporting dangerous goods.
- Promotes safe transportation and handling of hazardous materials.
- Educates and assists communities near major transportation routes about hazardous materials.
- Aids community emergency response planning for hazardous material transportation incidents.
- Operation Lifesaver, Railway operations, and safety aspects as well.
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