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Hazmat By Rail

Through the work of county-based local emergency planning committees (LEPCs), in partnership with the rail industry and Oregon's Regional Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Teams, the Hazmat by Rail program funds and participates in 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.

OSFM Training

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 Emergency 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 Richard.Heuchert@osfm.oregon.gov.

Training Courses








Equipment & Locations

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

Planning & Response Resources

2021 Hazmat by Rail Equipment Distriburtion Initiative

The Hazmat by Rail Equipment Distribution Initiative was an opportunity for Oregon's fire agencies with rail in their jurisdiction or neighboring jurisdictions to increase equipment capabilities to respond to rail incidents involving the release of hazardous materials. For this initiative, fire agencies requested quantities from a prescribed list of equipment which became the property of the the fire agency.

High Hazard Flammable Train Information for Emergency Response Planning

BNSF Railway

Union Pacific Railroad

Portand and Western Railway