The Billings Fire Department has received some hands-on training this week on responding to railroad emergencies.
It’s the first time in about 10 years that the firefighters have been able to work with BNSF Rail.
Watch firefighter railroad training story here:
Billings firefighters had an up-close look at a tanker car and a locomotive.
Learning how to handle emergencies with big equipment takes special training.
Firefighters lowered themselves into a tanker car to get an idea of the conditions they might encounter in a rescue.
“We'd have to send a guy down in and then package the patient in a position where we could get them out through that tight hole,” said Capt. Ben Jares of the Billings Fire Department.
Normally there would not be a ladder, but this still gives firefighters a sense of what it would take to bring someone to safety from a tanker.
“Essentially we'd need the rescue team and the hazmat team for pulling somebody out of one of the tanks,” Jares said. “And we have specialized equipment to wrap them in and ropes to get them out of the top, but we'd have to bring our own air with us.”
That's the point of this training: to get on-the-ground experience with rail cars.
One example is actually on top of the tanker.
BNSF has samples up high and inside of the different valves that a firefighter may encounter during an emergency.
“Get some hands on and see what we're actually going to be dealing with if we go to respond to a live incident,” said Training Chief Bryan Francis.
Francis says this type of training is extremely valuable.
Earlier in the week, firefighters used a ladder truck to simulate a rescue in a locomotive.
“The problem is very complex because you have a tight area,” Francis said.
And a 4,400-horsepower diesel-electric hybrid engine may cause a hazard.
“There's a lot of voltage and amperage that's in that train, so if we apply water, which is a good conductor, in the wrong spot, we can get zapped by that,” Francis said.
Firefighters need to know about the different fluids, which include 5,300 gallons of diesel fuel, 400 gallons of cooling water, and up to 400 gallons of engine lube oil.
“If we know what the products are and if a train is leaking or there's an issue there, and we can help remediate that or mitigate that because of what is learned today,” Francis said.
“Any time we can get out and get our hands-on stuff, we like that,” Jares said.
It makes all the difference when the response is real.
“Knowing ahead of time what those type of fluids are helps a lot, and a lot of us don't get experience around the railroad,” Francis said.
