So.... My Job Description just got Bigger :rolleyes:

As if being a Professional Structural / Wild land Firefighter, Swift Water Tech, Confined Space Tech, High Angle Rope Rescue, Parametic, and Haz Mat Tech wasn't enough I now have the "privilege" of Haz Mat Tank Car Specialist to add to the list.

Just got back from a week in Pueblo Co. from the Union Pacific Rail Car School. Lets just say, I know more about Rail Cars than I ever wanted to know. But, it was a very good school taught by a extremely effective instructor.

So.... This is what I have to look forward to now


This is a Derailment during a tornado as a train was moving across Illinois

At the 1:00 Min mark look at the trees on the right hand side of the video. This is when the Tornado starts to strike the train.
At the 1:10 mark the train derails on a bridge trestle and begins to come apart.
The camera on the back of the engine pulling the train catches the entire event. The car directly behind the engine is what is known as a "Buffer" car to separate incompatible hazardous materials which in this case didn't really work out.
At the 1:25 mark you will see a tank car full of Ethylene Oxide being pushed by the force of the rest of the train into the back of the engine. Ethylene Oxide is a chemical that is so bad it doesn't even like itself much less anything else. Luckily enough the "head shield" did it's job and did not allow the product to leak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKIRkl9W8Cc






Lac-Mégantic, Quebec


On June 6th a Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Short Line Rail Train carrying 72 non-pressure tank cars loaded with petroleum crude oil derailed in the small town of Lac-Mégantic and essentially destroyed the entire town. All but 7 cars derailed in this event not counting the engines.

There is plenty of information online about this derailment so there is no need to go into specifics but below is a video of the aftermath of the derailment. Notice in the video 2 things. As the Tank cars burning or have flame impingement they will BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) and release all of their product violently and within less than one tenth of a second. The other thing is the loud "whistle" that you hear is the "pressure release device" trying to keep up with the building pressure in each car.

On a side note. The person filming this is a fucking idiot and is Danger Close. This was the perfect storm of everything that could go wrong did.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRb3JHsiqfA






Tank Explosion in the Rail yard in Texarkana. Notice the Chemical hugging the ground as the explosion starts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJP6ZH5Jg4w







Here is a example of a BLEVE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM0jtD_OWLU




8 more years and I'm done with this shit and will be living in the shadow of Pikes Peak




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__________________

 

Yes they do...

 

Yeah I understand.

I volunteered ( was volunteered ) for this training. We have a little over 500 members on the Fire Dept. and I am one of 5 members now with this training. Basically it appears that if a train derails anywhere within a 50 mile radius I'll get a call even if its outside the city.

I would say the only issue that I have is that I don't receive any more pay for all the extra training that I've got. Someone that just sits on their ass all day at the slowest station and does the bare minimum makes the same amount of money.

That said... I didn't get into this line of work for the pay (obviously). You will never get "rich" doing this job (but a comfortable living) and it will take a mental and physical toll on you. It sure as hell has on me. But... I enjoy helping people and I love the fact that when I show up to work it is rarely the same routine. I've got a Business Degree that I have never used but the thought of sitting at a desk... I couldn't do it.

Someone told me once when I was young that "you never turn down a chance to learn something" and I guess it stuck.



__________________

 

Perfect example of what I'm talking about. Desk jobs don't give you this. Helmet cam burned up at the next fire.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11RoZAdggmU​