JACKSONVILLE, Fla.,
April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/
-- CSX's Safety Train: Energy Preparedness Program,
with rolling classrooms and specialized hands-on training, will
soon take to the rails on an expanded first responder training
initiative. The train will travel over much of the company's crude
oil service territory over the next several months.
This CSX Safety Train will begin in mid-May, visiting numerous
communities in Pennsylvania,
New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois. The company's
enhanced training program offers fire fighters, police officers,
emergency medical technicians and other first responders insights
on how rail cars work and how to deal with rail incidents. CSX's
first responder training already reaches hundreds of emergency
personnel each year.
Upcoming training sessions will include Philadelphia; South
Kearny, N.J.; Kingston,
Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and New
York, N.Y.; Erie, Pa.;
Cleveland and Willard, Ohio; Garrett, Ind.; and Chicago. More details will be provided as the
schedule is finalized.
"As the market for shipping crude oil has grown, so has our
commitment to and responsibility for moving those shipments safely
and efficiently," said Skip Elliott,
CSX's vice president-public safety, health and environment. "This
year, in light of increased crude oil movements on our network, we
have expanded our engagement with first responders and emergency
personnel along key routes to include training specific to crude
oil movements."
The CSX Safety Train is comprised of a locomotive, four tank
cars, one flat car equipped with a variety of tank car valves and
fittings, two classroom cars and a caboose. CSX hazardous material
specialists will lead training sessions with specific instruction
on how crude oil is shipped. The train and instruction will help
strengthen CSX's partnership with first responders and provide a
higher state of emergency readiness.
"As soon as Delaware County
asked CSX to arrange for training in preparation for the upcoming
crude oil unit trains, they quickly worked with us and their
partners to conduct emergency response training for our first
responders," said Edwin J. Truitt,
director, Delaware County (Pa.)
Department of Emergency Services. "This is what comes from
maintaining an effective working relationship with our partners at
the railroads."
Increased emergency response training and tuition assistance are
part of a voluntary agreement that the nation's railroads reached
with the U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this year. As
part of this comprehensive agreement, the nation's railroads have
lowered maximum authorized speeds for certain trains carrying crude
oil in designated cities, increased track inspections on key oil
routes, and agreed to implement additional trackside safety
technology.
The CSX Safety Train is just one of a number of continuing
programs through which CSX offers training and recognition to
emergency responders and customers. Just recently, CSX presented
its Chemical Safety Excellence Award to more than 70 shippers who
had incident-free records in 2013.
Training already reaches hundreds of first responders through
the Safety Train, hands-on sessions at training centers operated by
CSX and the Association of American Railroads, classroom training
at local fire stations, exercises and table-top drills, and
thousands more through web-based and self-study courses. In
September 2013, nearly 100 crude oil
customers were trained by a CSX team.
In addition, CSX continues to deploy special technology to first
responders and security officials so that they can track oil and
other hazardous materials shipments in virtually real time. The
technology is called SecureNOW, and it is now used by 19 of the 23
states in which CSX operates. The technology provides law
enforcement and other federal and state public safety officials
with access to data on the location of CSX trains and their
contents.
Through first responders and law enforcement, communities can
also receive detailed reports from CSX that document the volume and
specific types of hazardous materials that pass through their
locations.
"The development of shale oil represents a tremendous
opportunity for our nation to move closer to energy independence,
to grow our economy and to create jobs," Elliott added. "Freight
rail, with its terrific fuel efficiency and ability to reduce
highway congestion and maintenance requirements, has a critical
role in this opportunity. But it also comes with great
responsibility."
About CSX
CSX, based in Jacksonville,
Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides
rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions
to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy,
industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products. For
more than 185 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation's
economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects
every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the
nation's population resides. It also links more than 240 short-line
railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major
population centers and small farming towns alike. More information
about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at
www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter
(http://twitter.com/CSX).
SOURCE CSX