Union Pacific Railroad conducted training for 160 emergency response personnel from 12 states, August 11-13, August 13-15, August 25-27 and August 27-29. 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 240 emergency responders on crude oil safety at the Pueblo facility. Emergency response personnel from the following organizations attended the course in August: Future crude-by-rail courses will be held:
  • Arkansas:
    • Little Rock Fire Department, Little Rock
    • Benton Fire Department, Benton
    • West Memphis Fire Department, West Memphis
    • Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, North Little Rock
    • Bryant Fire Department, Bryant
    • Paragould Fire Department, Paragould
    • Pottsville Fire Department, Pottsville
    • Winchester Fire Department, Dumas
    • Russellville Fire Department, Russellville
    • Johnson County Rural Fire Department 4, Hartman
    • El Dorado Fire Department, El Dorado
    • Conway Fire Department, Conway
    • Jonesboro Fire Department, Jonesboro
  • California:
    • Santa Clara Fire Department, Santa Clara
  • Colorado:
    • Evans Fire Department, Evans
  • Illinois:
    • Geneva Fire Department, Geneva
    • East St. Louis Fire Department, East St. Louis
    • Rock Falls Fire Department, Rock Falls
    • Lombard Fire Department, Lombard
    • Sterling Fire Department, Sterling
    • Elgin Fire Department, Elgin
    • Benton Fire Department, Benton
  • Iowa
    • Cedar Rapids Fire Department, Cedar Rapids
    • Blairstown Fire Department, Blairstown
    • Norway Fire Department, Norway
    • Des Moines Fire Department, Des Moines
    • Clinton Fire Department, Clinton
    • Council Bluffs Fire Department, Council Bluffs
    • Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, Fairfax
  • Louisiana:
    • Louisiana State Police
    • Baton Rouge Fire Department, Baton Rouge
    • Quachita Parish Fire Department, West Monroe
    • Rapides Parish Fire District 3, Pineville
    • Alpine Volunteer Fire Department, Pineville
  • Minnesota:
    • Shakopee Fire Department, Shakopee
    • Brooklyn Park Fire Department, Brooklyn Park
    • Dellwood Fire Department, Dellwood
  • Missouri:
    • Kansas City Fire Department, Kansas City
    • Dexter Fire Department, Dexter
  • Nebraska:
    • Hastings Fire Department, Hastings
    • North Platte Fire Department, North Platte
  • Oklahoma:
    • Caney Volunteer Fire Department, Caney
  • Texas:
    • Round Rock Fire Department, Round Rock
    • Dallas Fire Department, Dallas
    • Corsicana Fire Department, Corsicana
    • Longview Fire Department, Longview
    • Roanoke Fire Department, Roanoke
    • Abilene Fire Department, Abilene
    • Forest Hill Fire Rescue, Forest Hill
    • Hutto Fire Rescue, Hutto
    • Fort Worth Fire Department, Fort Worth
    • Keller Fire-Rescue, Keller
  • Wyoming:
    • Cheyenne Fire Department, Cheyenne
  • November 12-14
  • December 1-3