Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, Chair of the Select Committee on Local Emergency Preparedness, introduced Assembly Bill 22 which establishes a program to reimburse local fire departments for expenses incurred by sending personnel to oil-by-rail accident response training programs.
Nationwide, shipments of highly volatile crude oil have increased 4000% since 2008. As these shipments increase, so does the possibility of a deadly accident. In 2012, 47 people were killed in Lac-Mégantic, Canada when a runaway train carrying highly-volatile Bakken crude oil derailed causing multiple tank cars to explode and catch fire. Proper training, information and resources being available to local emergency response agencies can play a major role in mitigating the effects of such an accident.
“With crude oil shipments by rail increasing, a major hazardous material spill occurring in California becomes a real possibility,” said Rodriguez. “Local emergency crews are the first ones on scene during the critical moments following an accident and they need to be properly prepared to respond. This bill would allow local fire departments, many of whom have limited budgets, to receive life-saving training that may have otherwise been inaccessible due to cost.”
In July of this year, Assemblymember Rodriguez convened a Select Committee hearing to identify gaps in training and equipment for local fire departments. The committee found that many small, medium-sized and volunteer fire departments do not have the budget to send firefighters for training. AB 22 proposes to close this gap by providing a funding stream to reimburse local fire departments for costs associated with sending firefighters to training programs.
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Assemblymember Rodriguez is Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Local Emergency Preparedness, and Vice Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management. He represents the 52nd Assembly District which includes the cities of Chino, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona and portions of unincorporated Fontana.