Area firefighters and emergency responders are reminded of a free daylong course on rail car incident response next weekend.

Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen explains what the course entails, “So Washington County will be hosting a class on railcar incident response for crude, ethanol, and other flammable liquids. And this is aimed mostly at firefighters and other first responders. It’s a class that’s set up through the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and it’s to educate first responders on freight rail car incidents involving hazardous materials specifically crude oil, ethanol, and other flammable liquids.”

Attendees will receive hands-on training with a railroad tank car at Marr Park in Ainsworth, learning how to assess the scene of a rail car accident, and understand the resources needed to remediate the situation, such as how the railroad plays a critical role in the response. Registration is still open for the free day-long course happening at Marr Park on Saturday, September 15th. Reisen asks that area residents register by Thursday September 13th to be included in the meal count. You can register at Eventbrite.com through the event’s Facebook page or call Reisen at 319-653-7794.