Security & Safety Briefs - Sept. 16 - Sept. 22

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The Latest Headlines:

• U.S. Issues $12.8 Million in Hazmat Training Grants
• Union Pacific to Install Cameras, Microphones in Locomotives
• DOT Issues New Hazmat Guidebook

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U.S. Issues $12.8 Million in Hazmat Training Grants

The Department of Transportation on Monday said it awarded grants totaling $12.8 million to improve planning and training for transportation incidents involving hazardous materials.

"These grants help our firefighters, police and other first responders protect our citizens by assuring that they are ready to respond to hazardous materials incidents," Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said in a statement.

All 50 states, along with six districts and territories and 10 Native American tribes will share the grants. California, Texas and Illinois were awarded the most money, DOT said.

Transportation also announced a $250,000 federal grant to the International Association of Fire Fighters "to provide vital training resources for instructors who conduct hazardous materials response training programs." Transport Topics

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Union Pacific to Install Cameras, Microphones in Locomotives

Freight railroad Union Pacific Corp. said Monday it planned to install digital cameras and microphones on locomotives to record every trip for accident investigation purposes.

Earlier this year, seven courts penalized Union Pacific for destroying or tampering with crash-related evidence to dodge responsibility for railway-crossing accidents, Bloomberg reported, citing previously published articles.

Union Pacific said it didn't intentionally destroy evidence and followed federal accident-reporting rules, Bloomberg reported.

At least 1,000 cameras would be installed by the end of 2005, and Union Pacific said it planned to eventually install cameras in its 6,700 locomotives that travel between cities.

The Department of Transportation blames automobile drivers for most railway-crossing accidents, which killed 324 people last year, Bloomberg said. Transport Topics

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DOT Issues New Hazmat Guidebook

Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta said Monday the Department of Transportation would distribute 1.7 million copies of a new hazardous materials safety manual to police, fire and other emergency response organizations.

DOT said in a statement the manual was designed to aid emergency response personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of an accident site involving hazardous materials.

Mineta called the Emergency Response Guidebook 2004, "the safety gold standard for first responders who must know what they are dealing with before responding to an incident."

The guidebook was a joint project between DOT, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico. Transport Topics

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