The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recently announced more than $25 million in grant funds to train first responders, strengthen safety programs, improve safety, reduce environmental impacts and educate the public health.
The grants will fund projects that support state inspectors for hazardous materials shipments and pipeline inspections, as well as important safety training, emergency response educational programs and innovative safety technologies, according to a March 20 news release.
"We announced funding to train firefighters and other first responders to respond to emergencies involving pipelines and hazardous materials," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a March 21 Twitter post. "These grants help ensure that communities have the resources they need to keep their residents safe."
The announcement follows the Norfolk Southern train derailment that "upended the lives of the community," the release reported.
Responders were previously provided training through DOT's Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training grant program. That program provided training for more than 2,500 first responders in 137 Ohio localities, including first responders who "were on the ground during the recent derailment," the release reported.
"We need to make sure our first responders are ready to respond to emergencies involving pipelines and hazardous materials," Buttigieg said in the news release. "These grants will train firefighters and other first responders and help ensure that communities have the resources they need to keep their residents safe."
Funding will go toward Pipeline Emergency Response Grants, Competitive Academic Agreement Program Grants, Technical Assistance Grants, State Damage Prevention Grants, One-Call Grants, Hazardous Materials Instructor Training Grants, Hazardous Materials State Inspection Grants, Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training Grants, Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Tribal Grants, Supplemental Public Sector Training Grants and Community Safety Grants, according to the release.
“Whether it’s dealing with a pipeline rupture or a train derailment — training is essential to the safety of our first responders and the communities they serve,” PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown said in the release. “These grant opportunities will help ensure first responders have what they need to address the unique challenges that exist in communities across the country.”
