NS Extends OAR to Alabama
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
Norfolk Southern photo
Norfolk Southern’s OAR (Operation Awareness & Response) program was launched in 2015 “to educate the public about the economic importance of the safe movement of hazardous materials by rail, connect emergency first responders in NS communities with information and training resources, and strengthen relationships with first responders across the NS network.”
NS recently held a regional safety training event in central Alabama that included a full-scale emergency simulation exercise for local first responders. The exercise was conducted in partnership with the Irondale Fire Department, Birmingham Fire Department, Irondale Police, Birmingham Fire, Pelham Fire, Cahaba Valley Fire, and Jefferson County EMA.
“The training gave first responders hands-on practice responding to an emergency in full gear, using operating equipment that would be utilized in an actual emergency, responding to the scene on their trucks before getting into protective gear, hazmat suits, and using drone teams to plan their response as a unified command,” NS noted.
Earlier, more than 130 first responders received hands-on training aboard the NS Safety Train, which is outfitted with boxcar classrooms, tank cars, and a locomotive for hands-on learning. The Safety Train course includes six classes:
- Safety Around the Railroad.
- Tank Car Identification & Assessment.
- Tank Car Valves & Fittings.
- Locomotive Emergencies.
- Responding to Railroad Emergencies.
- AskRail Mobile App.
- Response Strategies & Tactics.
“We do trainings like this to reach the first responders who serve the communities in which we live and operate,” said NS Manager Hazardous Materials Cris Burch. “These relationships are invaluable, and it’s important to put faces to names between our team and theirs so that, in an emergency, we are able to work together effectively from the moment we start.”
