More than 60,000 emergency responders across 37 states completed training in the safe handling and distribution of anhydrous ammonia over the past year. The training was conducted by TRANSCAER (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response), a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities in preparing for and responding to a possible hazardous material transportation incident.
The Anhydrous Ammonia Training Tour is the first nationwide, product-specific training module of its kind. Launched in the spring of 2011, the program concentrates on a number of topics, including ammonia properties, transportation protocol, equipment handling and emergency response in the event of a release. The tour focuses on regions of the country where the use of anhydrous ammonia in agriculture and refrigeration applications is prevalent. To supplement the needs of emergency responders, more than 28,000 TRANSCAER Anhydrous Ammonia DVDs have been distributed nationwide.
TRANSCAER, through continued work with The Fertilizer Institute and more than 200 volunteers from chemical manufacturers, transportation industry leaders, distributors, and federal, state, and local government agencies, will continue the tour through 2012.
TRANSCAER members consist of volunteer representatives from the chemical manufacturing, transportation, distributor, and emergency response industries, as well as the government. For more information on TRANSCAER’s Anhydrous Ammonia training, visit http://transcaer.com/aa-tour.