BNSF News

BNSF Announced as TRANSCAER Honoree

2009-04-27

The National Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TRANSCAER) Task Group (NTTG) recently presented the 2008 TRANSCAER National Achievement Award to four companies committed to helping communities prepare for and respond to possible hazardous materials transportation incidents.

This year's winners are BNSF, Norfolk Southern, Dow and Union Pacific. The recipients trained more than 13,000 first responders through numerous events nationwide last year. BNSF's hazmat team was specifically referenced as going above and beyond the call of duty.

"BNSF's hazmat team provided training to more than 4,500 first responders in 17 states and sponsored more than 200 TRANSCAER events in 2008, including tours in Iowa, Colorado and Washington," according to a TRANSCAER news release.

"TRANSCAER and the resources it makes available are intended to help safeguard the public by providing first responders with the information and training they need to effectively respond in the unlikely event of a chemical transportation incident," said Rollie Shook, Emergency Services and Security senior leader of The Dow Chemical Company and chairperson of NTTG. "This is a great outreach tool that gives companies the chance to let communities know they are committed to ensuring the safe and secure transportation of potentially hazardous products."

TRANSCAER companies train local emergency responders through a combination of hands-on activities, emergency planning assistance and community drills and exercises. They include the use of actual rail and truck equipment; table-top exercises, which are verbal "walk throughs" that discuss responses to a possible emergency situation; and whistle-stop tours that bring emergency preparedness training to response organizations and educate communities near major rail routes about rail equipment and chemical transportation.

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For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com