Effective response in a railroad emergency depends on access to reliable, timely information. If the train conductor cannot be located, the AskRail mobile app gives first responders an alternative resource in the palm of their hand. By entering a railcar number in the mobile interface, key county emergency personnel can identify if a car or train is carrying hazardous material or other freight that poses a risk before determining how to safely respond to an incident.
Other features of the recently-updated AskRail app include:
- full integration with North American Class I railroads;
- a mapping feature to identify points of interest and isolation zones;
- access to the field guide to tank cars, providing the types and markings of tank cars that carry hazardous and non-hazardous materials;
- emergency contact information for all Class I Railroads and Amtrak; and
- a list of the top 125 hazardous materials to help hazmat managers and emergency responders design their training strategy.
The AskRail app, available for qualified emergency responders, is included as part of standard emergency responder training from Class I railroads, and railroads can offer the app to known emergency responders along their routes. To learn more about the AskRail app, visit the website here.