TRANSCAER®

The Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TRANSCAER) initiative is a voluntary program led by the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) and the Railway Association of Canada (RAC) in partnership with chemical manufacturers, oil producers, railways, and trucking and distribution companies from coast to coast.

For 30 years, the goal of this initiative has been the same—to work with municipal officials, first responders and residents in communities along transportation routes to ensure that they know what products are being transported through their communities, and are prepared to respond to any potential incidents.

Through TRANSCAER, Canada’s railways provide free training to firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel on how to handle a transportation incident involving dangerous goods. An innovative “classroom on wheels”―the TRANSCAER Safety Train (also known as the CCPX 911)―is used to teach emergency responders about the different features of railway tank cars. Railways also assist communities in developing and evaluating their emergency response plans by working through scenarios, assessing available equipment and identifying ways to quickly communicate with residents.

RAC’s participation in TRANSCAER is further proof of the railway industry’s commitment to the safe handling and transportation of dangerous goods. Each year, the RAC and Canada’s Class 1 railways train approximately 5,000 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) Canadian firefighters, police, emergency medical personnel and industrial plant workers on dangerous goods handling and emergency response through TRANSCAER. Transporting dangerous goods has its risks, but Canada’s railways believe that by working together and planning ahead we can do it safely.

For more information, you can download the RAC Railway Emergency Response Awareness Guide.