Windsor Ontario - Canadian Pacific Railway is proactively training first responders, to prepare them for anything.
 
Detroit and Windsor first responders took part in a training exercise on Wednesday, involving a mock dangerous goods incident at the Detroit River rail tunnel.
 
About a year ago, federal transport minister Lisa Raitt came out with a list of recommendations from the transportation safety board, among those, improvement of emergency response across the country through a task force involving municipalities, first responders, railways, and shippers.
 
"This isn't in response to any particular incident, what this is, is an ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness," says CP Rail spokesperson Andy Cummings.
 
Cummings says the international rail tunnel under the Detroit River provides a very unique scenario, which may create a greater risk than an open area.
 
"We cross the Canadian-US border at a number of points, this is the only one that occurs in a tunnel," says Cummings.
 
"If there were an incident in the tunnel, it would involve responders from both sides of the border."
 
According to the CP emergency planning guide, factors like ventilation, high temperatures, possible structural failures, limited access points, and poor visibility all have to be considered.
 
Another federal requirement, however, is still in the works.
 
"Last year, I required railway companies to share dangerous goods data with municipalities," says Raitt.
 
Windsor fire Chief Bruce Montone says that up to the minute information still isn't at their fingertips.
 
Regardless, he says he's satisfied with the current system.

Anonymous Author.