Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

JAMES­—Meramec Regional Emergency Planning Committee (MREPC) is offering two free Rail Car Hazmat Incident Response Trainings on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Jan. 26 class will be held in Rolla at the Eugene E. Northern Community Hall, 400 West 4^th St. The Jan. 27 class will be held in Cadet at Buckman North America, 14664 East St. Hwy 47.

These classes will focus on incidents involving crude, ethanol and other flammable liquids. Firefighters, first responders, community emergency management personnel and other community stakeholders (including railroad representatives) are encouraged to attend this training course.

The information covered in the free training courses, created by the All Hazards Training Center at the University of Findlay for the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, will enhance the ability of emergency responders to assess the scene of a rail car incident, understand the resources needed to remediate the emergency situation, including how the railroad will play a critical role in the response. Hands-on scenarios using a rail car simulator are conducted to emphasize the objectives of the training, including:

• Identifying the design, construction, components and markings of rail tank cars that carry crude/flammable liquids;
• Recognizing and identifying the chemical being transported, and the properties that must be considered in an emergency;
• Assessing the scene to determine the potential hazards to people, property, and the environment;
• Recognizing mitigation strategies including offensive, defensive, and non-intervention strategies for fire and/or spill incidents; and
• Identifying key resources in the rail/freight industry as well as federal, state, and private resources for response assistance.

“There are two major rail lines that intersect the Meramec Region – one that runs down the I-44 corridor and one that runs across the northern part of the region along the Missouri River,” said Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC assistant director and environmental programs manager. “Both of these rail lines transport hazardous materials. This training is a great opportunity for local emergency responders to get free, hands-on training on how to address an accident involving crude oil, ethanol or other flammable liquids. This type of training is not offered very often in our area. I hope folks will take advantage of it.”

Registration deadline for the classes is Jan. 12 Those interested in registering for either class should contact Snodgrass at 573-265-2993 or via email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org.

MREPC works with local governments as well as the private sector to maintain plans responsive to chemical hazards, which seriously threaten the area. The committee periodically coordinates and offers training opportunities for emergency responders in the region. Quarterly meetings are open to the public. MRPC provides staff support for the local emergency planning committee.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 23, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.