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6/19/2026
Palmetto Railways and the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) recently hosted a week-long emergency response training program for regional first responders and railroad employees in Charleston, South Carolina.
The training involved 69 first responders from regional fire departments and emergency management divisions and 21 Palmetto Railways employees, who learned how to prepare for and coordinate efforts during railroad-related emergencies.
Led by SLSI instructors with extensive hazardous materials transportation safety experience, the free course covered such rail-specific topics as safety around railroad property and at the scene of a rail incident, rail-car identification and construction, hazmat identification and train documentation. The course also included a field incident exercise that mimicked a realistic rail emergency.
The course is funded through Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (or ALERT) grant program.
“First responders benefit from exposure to specific railroad operations; it is crucial to the success of a response," said SLSI Executive Director Tom Murta in a press release. "Palmetto Railways’ initiative in preparing area first responders to meet the challenges they may encounter when responding to an incident will serve the public well.”
SLSI works with regionals, short lines and passenger railroads nationwide to advance safety cultures and operational improvements through training, education and technical assistance.