SACO — Firefighters had a rare opportunity Wednesday to get hands-on emergency response training on a passenger rail.
Deputy Fire Chief Robert Martin worked with the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration and other railroad officials to bring Locomotive Emergency Response Operations training.
Firefighters from Saco and Biddeford Wednesday were receiving a combination of classroom and hands-on training. The hands-on portion of the training was at city property on Lund Road, and firefighters had access to a freight train, a box car and an Amtrak train.
Martin said it had been more than 10 years since the department had this sort of training, the last time being before the Downeaster service was in operation. Martin said it’s difficult for Amtrak to spare a train, as the service is so busy and there is limited spare equipment, and the company was letting firefighters and trainers use a passenger train for the afternoon.
“It’s an incredible opportunity ”¦ it’s not going to happen often,” said Martin.
The training gives firefighters knowledge and awareness of trains and what to do in an emergency situation involving a train, said Richard Towle, law enforcement liaison officer with Region One of the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Safety. The training included an overview of equipment, what firefighters can and cannot touch while in the train, and safety issues like avoiding electrocution from a powerful 480-volt electrical system.
“Everything we do in emergency services is all based on readiness,” said Martin. “We plan for the worst and hope for the best.”
Firefighters know how to put out fires and rescue people from burning buildings, but trains are much different than buildings, he said. Amtraks are made of strong stainless steel that would take hours to break through, said Towle, and windows are so strong that an ax would bounce off of them.
The trains are equipped with designated windows that can be removed, and it’s a good experience for firefighters to open an Amtrak window or watch one of their peers open a window.
Training sessions were scheduled Tuesday through Friday, so staff from all three shifts would get the chance to take the course, said Martin.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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