Hazmat by Rail

The Hazmat by Rail program provides first responder training and assists with community planning efforts to respond to emergencies involving hazardous material releases that occur on rail lines. Through the work of county-based local emergency planning committees (LEPCs), in partnership with the rail industry and Oregon's regional hazmat team program, the Hazmat by Rail program funds preparedness efforts such as tabletop exercises, rail-specific hazmat training, commodity flow studies, and purchasing rail response equipment. Click here to find out if your community has an LEPC or rail response plan.

The Hazmat by Rail Equipment Distribution Initiative is an opportunity for Oregon’s fire agencies to increase equipment capabilities to respond to rail incidents involving the release of hazardous materials. For this initiative, fire agencies can request quantities from a prescribed list of equipment. If the fire agency is awarded equipment, the OSFM will procure and ship the equipment to the fire agency. Once received, the equipment will become the property of the fire agency.

To qualify for this initiative, fire agencies must have a rail in their jurisdiction or provide mutual aid to neighboring fire agencies with rail. Priority for the initiative will be high-risk communities identified in the 2020 Hazmat by Rail annual report to the Oregon Legislature (fire agencies located in Multnomah, Lane, Deschutes, and Klamath counties). Secondary preference will be assigned to agencies with Class 1 railroads.

The application period closed on March 15, 2021. For questions, please contact the program coordinator.

HazMat by Rail Equipment List
Class I Rail Line Map

The OSFM created several levels of hazmat rail training from basic to advanced. These training opportunities were made and are provided with support from our rail partners and talented instructors within the Regional Hazardous Materials Response Teams.

The first level of training is provided to local fire agencies as a brief overview (approx. 3 hours) of basic hazmat rail response and preparedness.

The second level is a hazmat rail emergency response operations course which includes hands-on practice with response and mitigation tactics to be used by firefighters on rail incidents.

The final, most advanced course is designed for Oregon's Regional Hazardous Materials Response Teams. It provides technical expertise as a tank car specialist (TCS) and covers the technical and job-specific functions of a hazmat team member during a hazmat rail incident. Having team members with this level of expertise boosts Oregon's capability to respond to these incidents to protect people, their property, and the environment.

To request training for your fire agency or organization, please email Training Specialist Rick.Heuchert@osp.oregon.gov.

Hazmat Rail Emergency Response Awareness This 3-hour course is designed to provide emergency responders the basic knowledge and awareness level training in response to a rail hazmat incident.
Hazmat Rail Emergency Response Operations This 8-hour course is designed to provide emergency responders the basic knowledge and operations level training in response to a rail hazmat incident.
Hazmat Tank Car Specialist This 40-hour course provides technical knowledge pertaining to tank cars, including damage assessment, oversight for product removal, and movement of damaged tanks and other rail cars. Training covers incident site assessments, container damage assessments, and product removal using different transfer techniques on the various DOT containers used in rail transportation.
Hazmat Incident Commander This 16-hour program meets OSHA and NFPA standards to qualify incident commanders to manage hazardous materials incidents. The intent of these standards is to provide an incident command system headed by a single person who does not necessarily have extensive knowledge about the classification and verification of hazardous materials but is able to manage emergencies of differing severity and oversee the hazmat team.

Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads provided eight foam firefighting trailers strategically placed throughout Oregon's mainline track where most crude oil and other hazardous commodities travel.

Trailers reside at fire agencies, ready for rapid deployment to emergency incidents requiring large quantities of foam, and reside along the mainline track where crude oil by rail is predominately shipped.

Trailers are available for any type of fire requiring large quantities of foam application for suppression purposes. They are staffed and available to respond at any time with the following fire agencies: