No One More Capable and Committed

Over the last few years, newly tapped sources of crude oil have transformed energy production in the United States. In communities like Williston, North Dakota, thousands of new jobs have been created and millions of barrels of domestically produced oil are helping the United States become energy independent.

By safely, efficiently and affordably transporting crude oil from where it is produced to where it is consumed, freight railroads are playing a vital role in realizing the benefits of this domestic energy boom. While the challenges of carrying cargo such as crude oil are complex, there is no one more committed or capable of transporting it safely than America’s freight railroads.

Almost 800 miles away from the oil fields of North Dakota sits a world-class facility focused on improving the safety of freight rail. Here in Pueblo, Colorado, our team of 270 researchers, engineers and experts operate the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) – a state-of-the-art research, laboratory and testing facility focused on improving the safety and efficiency of freight railroads in North America and the world.

TTCI is also home to the most in-depth, first responder training program in the country for hazardous material (hazmat) scenarios. Founded in 1985, the Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) is a program that has trained more than 50,000 first responders in hazmat emergency response procedures.

At SERTC, first responders gain knowledge in the classroom in all aspects of railroad hazmat incident response — from the properties of the commodities to tank car types and how to assess the scene of an incident. They then leave the classroom and apply their training skills in hands-on field experiences on life-size train derailments, with fires and chemical spills. Virtually every type of railcar, valve, fitting and component found on a freight train are used in the scenarios.

As the production of domestic crude oil has continued to increase, we have expanded our training programs in order to provide more specialized training for crude oil incidents. Already, TTCI has added a 4-hour crude oil training module to all of the educational programs, and later this summer we will be offering a free, online 101 training program to firefighters on the fundamentals of response for incidents involving crude oil.

By July 1 of this year, TTCI will expand training options even further with the introduction of a 3-day training program specifically devoted to crude oil. Using a combination of classroom and field exercises, this class will cover topics such as current crude oil shipping trends; the different types of crude oil and their characteristics; the different types of railroad tank cars used in crude oil transportation; and strategies, tactics and equipment to use when fighting fires resulting from crude oil accidents.

As crude oil production continues to grow, freight railroads are committed to improving their safety record even further, and meeting the demands of America’s energy boom safely and accident-free.

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