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Rail Safety for EMS Workers – New Course for 1st Responders
Parkersburg EMS conduct Mock Crash Response in WVA
“Rail Safety for Emergency Responders,” a rail safety course for firefighters and other emergency responders offered by Operation Lifesaver, addresses crucial information unavailable in current hazardous material courses.
This new course alerts responders to their own personal safety needs while driving across the railroad crossing and working in the vicinity of trains. Sponsored by Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit public education and outreach group, the course compliments and augments training already received as recruits.
“Much effort by our partners in the emergency response community and OL’s Enforcement Committee have resulted in a safety program we are proud to offer to the EMS, fire and enforcement communities,” OL President Gerri Hall said.
EMS Course Objectives
This course helps emergency responders:
- understand the importance and need to prepare for potential train incidents
- realize the railroad-related factors that affect response to emergencies
- understand the dangers of working on or around railroad property
- understand the differences in terminology used by the railroads to avoid miscommunications
- identify the types of railroad equipment and learn how to void dangers
- learn about a Rail Corridor Emergency Response plan and how to develop one
These objectives fit into four hours of basic classroom instruction. Hands-on equipment familiarization can be offered as part of an additional two-hour outdoor exercise. This provides participants first-hand knowledge and awareness of specific equipment operation, functioning, safety shut-offs, hazard locations and on-scene operational dangers and precautions.
Coast-to-coast Training Effort
A diverse group of firefighters, EMS and railroad safety managers worked together to create the course’s framework, develop the coursework and perform initial training. Included in that group were members of the OL Enforcement Committee Rick Flink from Montana, Steve Jankowski, Colorado Springs Fire Department Trainer (OL Pikes Peak Region Coordinator); Lt. Eric Sondeen, EMS/Firefighter, Colorado Springs; former Mississippi Highway Patrolman and rail safety manager Allen Pepper are among the leaders from Operation Lifesaver. Others working in the field on the East Coast and Midwest are contributors to the effort to provide EMS and firefighters with necessary information concerning train tragedies.
This course will be offered to local emergency responders in San Antonio, Texas, on July 14, the final day of the 13th Operation Lifesaver International Symposium.
EMS Responding to Mock Crash in WVA
After several months of training with local police and fire departments, the local EMS services and employees of two local hospitals, West Virginia Operation Lifesaver conducted a mock disaster with CSX (rail) Transportation to test the effectiveness of their training.
Using students from Parkersburg High School and Parkersburg Catholic High School as victims, a CSX train and the Parkersburg teams responded to the incident—exactly as they were trained. They extracted the victims, carried them to ambulances and transported them to emergency rooms at Camden-Clark and St. Joseph’s Hospitals, where they were treated. Local television, radio and newspapers covered the action.
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Contact Operation Lifesaver:
1420 King Street, Suite 401
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(703) 739-0308
(800) 537-6224
Email:general@oli.org
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