Rail car incident training is coming to West Columbia

March 26, 2026

Emergency responders in South Carolina are invited to attend AWR-147: Rail Car Incident Response, a free, DHS/FEMA-certified training designed to prepare personnel for hazardous materials incidents involving freight rail.

With rail lines running through many communities, this course provides essential, awareness-level training to help responders recognize hazards and respond safely, especially in rural or resource-limited areas.

What You’ll Learn

• Rail tank car design, components, and markings
• Identifying hazardous materials in transit
• Scene assessment and hazard recognition
• Initial mitigation strategies
• Key resources from industry and government partners

Who Should Attend

• Firefighters, law enforcement, emergency management personnel, and other first responders or community partners.

Course Details

• Date: May 5, 2026
• Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Location: SCEMD Training Annex, West Columbia, SC
• Cost: Free
• Deadline to Register: April 21, 2026 at 5 p.m.

How to Register

Registration must be completed through the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) website. Participants are also required to have a FEMA Student Identification (SID) number prior to registering.

Additional Information

Non-U.S. citizens must complete a DHS Foreign National Visitor Request form at least 30 days in advance.

For questions about the course, contact:

• Susan Bloomfield at 419-434-4353 or susan.bloomfield@findlay.edu
• SCEMD Representative KT Tepper at 839-224-6664 or ktepper@emd.sc.gov