Great Success for the Cape Breton & Nova Scotia Railway (CBNS) who organized TransCAER (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) sessions with local responders from the counties of Pictou and Antigonish, Nova Scotia from June 15 to 23, 2012.

As well, CCPX 911 Safety Training Tank Car, one of the most practical and visible tools of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC), was on display for these sessions held at the CBNS Railyards of Stellarton & Havre Boucher.

These training sessions consisted of presentations from CBNS Railway, the Railway Association of Canada (RAC) on Railway Operations and Emergency Response to a Railway incident followed by hands on training with the Safety Training Tank Car.

A total of seven sessions and two mock incidents were conducted with a total of 145 participants including: Fire departments from Antigonish, Barney’s River, Havre Boucher, Merigomish, Plymouth, Pomquet, Port Hawkesbury, Port Hastings, St-Andrews, Tracadie, Trenton, Thorburn, West River, Antigonish county EMS and RCMP, Stellarton police and Transport Canada.

Mock incidents occurred at the Havre Boucher railyard with fire departments from Tracadie and Havre Boucher who had the opportunity to utilize the information acquired during the training sessions for their simulated responses.

The overall joint objectives were to exchange information, understanding the capabilities of all involved during those sessions and at the end of the day be better prepared in the event of responding to a railway incident.