(The following story by Molly Montag appeared on the Times Herald website on August 15.)
PORT HURON, Mich. — Port Huron firefighters seized a rare opportunity Tuesday to learn more about the hundreds of rail cars carrying freight that enter the city each day.
CN Railway brought a specially-outfitted training car to the 16th Street Amtrak station, where firefighters participated in hands-on exercises.
Port Huron fire Capt. Mark White said the training allows firefighters to learn more about the systems, valves and components of rail cars. Firefighters from all shifts will have a chance to attend the training during the next three days.
Representatives from the Marysville Fire Department and St. Clair County’s hazardous-materials team also are expected to participate in the training.
“If any type of accident or incident would take place, this helps to prepare us for a variety of different events,” White said.
Knowledge of rail-car systems is important to Port Huron’s first responders. Local police and firefighters are charged with responding to incidents at the rail tunnel connecting Sarnia to Port Huron.
The tunnel is one of the busiest international freight crossings in the United States, according to the United States Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
In a 2003 study, only El Paso and Laredo, Texas, were ranked as being busier.
Greg Palmer, CN’s dangerous-goods officer from the company’s Pontiac office, said the Canadian rail carrier makes the training car available to local departments to help them better prepare for emergencies.
The training car, called CN 911, is used for trainings across the United States and Canada. Palmer said it is in high demand and is booked for the next two years. It is scheduled to move on to Pontiac after the Port Huron training is finished.
One of the valuable aspects of the training, he said, is that CN officials get to meet and know what local officials they will be working with in the case of disaster.
“(It is) to get out to responders ahead of time and let them know what resources the railroad is bringing into play,” Palmer said.