ACC Contact: Scott Jensen, (202) 249-6511
Email:
[email protected]
WASHINGTON (May 4, 2016) - This year marks the 30th anniversary of
TRANSCAER®
(
Trans
portation
C
ommunity
A
wareness and
E
mergency
R
esponse), a vital safety initiative that has provided
countless
first responders with invaluable training to help them respond to transportation incidents involving hazardous materials.
The safe transportation of hazardous materials is critical to our economy and everyday life. While most of these materials reach their destinations without incident, TRANSCAER is there to help communities with the training they need to effectively respond to an accident when it does occur. Last year alone, TRANSCAER helped more than
50,000 emergency responders
throughout North America become better prepared to safely respond to an emergency.
National TRANSCAER Task Group Chairman Frank Reiner, president of the
Chlorine Institute
, explained, "TRANSCAER's long-running success story is based on building partnerships that strengthen hazmat emergency preparedness at the community level. These include crucial partnerships between shippers and transportation carriers whose expertise forms the basis for TRANSCAER's training and education, and the public-private partnerships between our industries, first responders and service organizations such as the National Volunteer Fire Council and the Firefighters Education and Training Foundation."
TRANSCAER was created in 1986 to help make sure emergency responders are equipped with the knowledge they need to provide a rapid and effective response to an incident. Working with its network of volunteers, TRANSCAER offers events across the United States and Canada that include training on actual rail and truck equipment, live release drills and table-top exercises to discuss possible emergency situations. Having access to this type of training and expertise is incredibly important to communities, especially in small communities where resources can be limited.
"TRANSCAER offers hundreds of training events each year that are free and open to the emergency services community," said Kevin D. Quinn, Chairman of the
National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)
. "Being able to participate in specialized hazmat emergency response training through TRANSCAER is critical, particularly for the many volunteers who would not otherwise have access to that type of training. The NVFC congratulates TRANSCAER on their 30th anniversary!"
In honor of this important milestone, Congress just passed a
resolution
introduced by Senator Capito (R-WV) that recognized TRANSCAER's long-standing commitment to keeping emergency responders and the communities they serve safe.
The National TRANSCAER Task Group has also designated May as "TRANSCAER Month" with over 50 events scheduled across the country, which should help make this year one of the most successful years in the program's long and productive history. The training program will visit a variety of states, including: California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. You can find a complete list of upcoming events
here
.