Severe weather events, natural disasters, fires, floods and derailments can all cause widespread damage to the national rail network, wreaking havoc and disrupting normal business operations for weeks and even months. The potential human, community and economic impact underscores the critical need for railroads to have an emergency plan that can be activated on short notice as well as quick access to resources and emergency relief services to facilitate a return to normal operations as quickly as possible.
With support from railroad and supplier members, the ASLRRA has assembled essential templates and checklists to assist members in developing response plans that can be put in place and used as training tools before disaster strikes, as well as emergency response tools and resources to aid in the recovery process in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.
ASLRRA members may download the following materials directly from the ASLRRA website:
Disaster Plan Materials
HazMat Response Plan Materials
Emergency Docket Materials
ASLRRA also has a robust selection of recorded webinars available online in our On Demand Resource Library that may be used to prepare and train for emergency situations. Topics range from Crisis Communications and Media Training to Hazardous Materials Incident Reporting and ENS Review. The following organizations and websites provide additional information that may be useful to short line and regional railroads in preparing for and responding to disasters, crises, and emergency situations:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Disaster Preparedness Website (Ready.gov) provides a wealth of emergency preparedness information for individuals, families, communities, and businesses. Notable materials include:
Below are links to news stories featuring industry suppliers who provide critical products and services in the aftermath of disasters, as well as unique or interesting approaches to disaster preparedness and response by railroads:
Have something to add? We welcome your suggestions! Please share your Disaster Preparedness and Response resources, tools, checklists and contacts with ASLRRA by emailing JRGelnar@aslrra.org or SWaiss@aslrra.org.
