Longview train derailment training is one of few in the country

LONGVIEW — There has been a rise in train derailments nationwide lately. To be ready to respond to similar cases like what we’ve seen the past few months, crews from across the U.S. are in East Texas training. It’s run by the Longview Fire Department, which is one of just a few training courses in the nation to educate workers, according to our news partner KETK. “Trinity Industries is one of the largest tank car manufacturers in the world, and they have two manufacturing plants in Longview…so that kind of puts us as a unique school,” said training section chief for the Longview Fire Department Andy Parker.

This week’s class has 30 students comprised of railroad workers, firefighters and first responders from East Texas and other parts of the country. They’re specifically working with tank cars to learn how they’re put together, and how they’ll react in a derailment. “When a train derails it’s not just going to be lined up on the tracks like it normally would be. It’s going to be scattered everywhere so you’ve got trip and fall dangers, you’ve got crush dangers because something could move and that would be the end for you,” said Gene Giles, First Assistant Chief for Carthage Fire Department.

The class takes place once a year, and this is the first year it’s back in session since the COVID-19 pandemic halted the course. “Our class started in 1998 and at that time there were only two classes like this in the United States,” Parker said.

Longview’s fire marshal said he is pleased to know our crews here are prepared for the worst. “It should make the citizens proud to know that if it happens here that we’re response ready,” said Longview Fire Marshal Kevin May. Workers are expecting to be done with training by Thursday night, taking the skills they learned back home with them.