March 2021 • The latest from Montana & Wyoming

BNSF provides First Responders Winter Weather Training in the Flathead Valley

As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, BNSF conducted hands-on winter weather training with first responders in the Flathead Valley in early March. About 30 participants gained techniques to safely respond in the unlikely event of an incident involving crude oil trapped under the ice.

The free training was open to all first responders and emergency personnel. Participants learned to recognize and avoid hazards while working on the ice. They received hands-on practice with self-rescue, teammate support and oil recovery techniques. For example, class attendees learned how to slot the ice and use floating boom to deflect or collect oil from under the ice. Responders also learned how airboats are a vital tool in ice operations and rescues. All trainings are provided by highly qualified BNSF employees and contractors.

BNSF has a long history of working with and training first responders across the railroad’s network. Through the Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TRANSCAER) program, BNSF, along with other rail industry partners, provides training for emergency hazmat responders.

In 2020, BNSF trained more than 9,000 responders. During the pandemic, BNSF pivoted and offered training via webinars and web-based classes. When safe and practical, BNSF uses our hazmat-training equipment to deliver free, practical, hands-on training to first responders that prepares them to safely and effectively respond to railroad hazmat incidents. BNSF also provides free online railroad hazardous materials familiarization courses for community emergency responders.

Learn more about BNSF’s training and to sign up for classes by clicking here!

When Temperatures Drop, We Don’t Stop

Mid-February’s arctic outbreak brought a deep freeze to much of the nation. Worse, it was not just one event, but back-to-back winter blasts, including Winter Storm Uri, which delivered blinding white snow driven by high winds, coupled with icy precipitation. Temperatures dropped below zero. Power and water outages across the Midwest and South crushed communities, including many who don’t often experience these conditions.

While millions hunkered down and eventually dug out, BNSF employees kept trains rolling. When forecasters warned of impending storms, BNSF initiated winter action plans that ensured resources and procedures were in place to minimize winter’s impact on our people and our service. We notified customers that trains might be held or rerouted, and we provided employees with personal protective equipment and other aid, like warming stations and plentiful water, so they could work safely.

Trains operate 24/7, even in extreme cold, so we focused on trains that could be kept moving, generally on mainline routes. When we knew a front was moving in overnight, we moved as much volume as possible during the day. We limited switching and use of crossovers. We also focused on moving some coal trains to keep electricity-generation facilities fueled. Our Network Operations Center made the decisions, with input from our field teams’ command centers. Learn more about how we operate in winter weather!

Recognizing the Contributions of Women in the Rail Industry

Women's History Month, observed in the United States each March since 1987, provides the opportunity to reflect on the contributions of women to our world. Women have been involved in railroading since the 1800s. Some of the first railroad jobs they held were as registered nurses and what was referred to at the time as stewardesses in passenger cars. Over the decades, women's roles expanded as additional opportunities became available.

Here are a few of the many past female contributions to the railroad industry:

• Miss E.F. Sawyer became the first female telegraph operator when she was hired by the Burlington Railroad in Montgomery, Illinois, in 1872.
• Fred Harvey hired “Harvey Girls" to work at the various Fred Harvey hotels and dining rooms (“Harvey Houses") across the American southwest along the Santa Fe rail line. The Harvey Girls were featured in a 1946 movie by the same name directed by George Sidney and starring Judy Garland.
• In the 1870s, Eliza Murfey created devices for improving how bearings on a rail wheel attached to train cars.
• Mary Colter was an architect who designed important buildings for the Santa Fe Railway and iconic landmark structures in the Grand Canyon, including Desert View Watchtower. La Posada hotel in Winslow, Arizona, remains a favorite hotel for visitors wishing to experience Colter's famous architecture and interior design.
• During World Wars I and II, railroads hired women to fill jobs left by men who went to serve. Most women railway workers held clerical positions, but some obtained traditionally male-dominated positions in yards and locomotive shops.

In the Community

The BNSF Railway Foundation invests in the communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where BNSF employees live, work and volunteer. Recent donations include:

Honoring the First Woman Voter

Helping with Search and Rescue in Wyoming

Supporting Health and Wellness for Veterans in Montana

Emergencies – Call 800-832-5452

To report a vehicle stalled on a crossing, suspicious circumstances, malfunctioning crossing gates and lights or any other emergency,

call 800-832-5452 immediately.