2 minute read
Lubbock & Western Railway Participates in Mock Disaster Training
by OneWatco
Prepare for the unexpected.
It’s an approach the entire Watco team prioritizes as we strive to safely improve every day. And it’s one of the reasons why Watco organizes a variety of safety trainings throughout the year.
Recently, the Lubbock & Western Railway (LBWR) partnered with the local fire department to participate in a training, formally called the Plan Holder Initiated Unannounced Exercise, at the fire station. It’s the first time LBWR team members have traveled there for classroom learning and to participate in a live simulation of a railcar spill.
Exercises for this particular training are created each year by Environmental Director Jennifer Welch. On-site to facilitate the LBWR training was General Manager Ed Verlanic and Environmental Director Alison Suarato.
“This training provides an opportunity for team members to talk through a spill response in a controlled, low-stakes environment,” Suarato said. “Having the training at the fire station was invaluable, because team members got to meet and build relationships with firefighters.”
During the classroom component, the team reviewed the initial response plan in case of a real-time emergency. Afterward, members of the fire department demonstrated how they would respond to a chemical spill using a retired railcar at the station. The railcar is plumbed for water in order to carry out drills like this one.
From putting on hazmat suits and establishing hot, cold, and decontamination zones to finding the origin of the spill and securing the railcar, firefighters showed the LBWR team each step they take in an emergency-response situation.
Verlanic said: “It was a fantastic experience. Everybody walked away learning something from the exercise. Anytime we can partner with the fire department, we’ll do it.”
The LBWR has plans to return to the fire station next year for another exercise. In the meantime, the team has volunteered to improve the capabilities of the training railcar. Car mechanics plan to install holders for placards, which lists the commodity the railcar is carrying. They also plan to pipe the railcar for gas, in order to use it for a future gas leak drill.
