Press Release
By Nassau County Emergency Management
02-23-23
Nassau County Emergency Management (NCEM) will hold a multi-agency tabletop emergency response exercise in their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) February 28 – March 1. NCEM Director, Tim Cooper, is pleased to announce it will include a four-day hands-on “train derailment and hazardous materials response” training opportunity for local firefighters. The CSX Responder Incident Training (RIT) train is a specialized, hands-on training program that provides first responders with insights on how rail cars work and how to respond safely to rail-related incidents. CSX provides emergency planning assistance and training at no cost to fire, police, and other emergency response personnel in the communities they serve, but this is the first time this training will be offered in Nassau.
NCEM is responsible for the County’s disaster preparedness. The NCEM staff writes plans for and organizes exercises of county response operations for all types of natural and man-made hazards. Although the planning for this training and exercise began almost a year ago, recent railroad derailments in the news have been a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness for any incident. “Thanks to our partnerships with CSX Transportation and the BlueLinx Corporation,” Director Cooper said, “we are fortunate to have this derailment and hazmat training in our community.”
The training will take place on private property; therefore, attendance will be limited to personnel participating in the hands-on activities. County leadership and media representatives who wish to observe the training should contact the Nassau EOC at 904-548-0900 to request access.
