In 2008, the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) reported there were more than 7,000 rail car accidents and incidents, 20 of which involved hazardous materials requiring the evacuation of over 5,000 people. In the last five years there have been 166 incidents involving hazardous materials, most of which occurred in rural America according to the FRA.

As more and more rail traffic involves the transportation of valuable cargo and hazardous materials, the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) is providing critical training to help rural first responders, government administrators, and emergency managers in the Bossier City, Louisiana area respond more effectively to a freight rail car incident. 

RDPC will be delivering a free Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-certified course, AWR 147 - Rail Car Incident Response, from 8am to 5pm July 22nd, 2015 at the Bossier City Public Safety Training Center, 5850 Ahed Road, Bossier City, Louisiana.  The course will educate those on the front lines of defense in their community on what to do in the event of a rail car incident involving hazardous materials.