Emergency response training for railway incidents involving hazardous materials would be enhanced under a measure supported by U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) that cleared the House this week.
The RESPONSE Act, S. 546, would establish a Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs and Safety Evaluation Subcommittee under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Security Council.
The subcommittee would make recommendations to better train emergency responders and provide resources related to hazardous materials incidents involving railroads.
The bill passed the Senate with unanimous consent earlier this year, and it will next advance to the president’s desk for consideration.
“Rail safety is critical to the transport of goods and services through our country,” said Denham, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. “I believe the RESPONSE Act will succeed in improving the safety of our nation’s rail network.”
The RESPONSE subcommittee would be comprised of officials from the Federal Railroad Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and FEMA, in addition to non-government members from the railroad, emergency response and technical sectors.
The goals of the subcommittee include making emergency responder training more accessible, identifying challenges in obtaining training and modernizing training courses related to railway hazardous material incidents.