WASHINGTON-The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), in partnership with BNSF, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and TRANSCAER®, will host four ethanol safety seminars in South Dakota later this month. All of the seminars are funded by an Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) grant. The seminars are free to attend and lunch/ dinner will be provided. Registration is limited and Certificates of Completion will be awarded to attendees at the completion of the course. The seminars are designed for individuals who respond to ethanol-related emergencies, as well as those who work at fixed-facilities and transport fuel. The seminars will be held on the following dates and locations: -Sunday, April 23 – Worthing, SD Worthing Elementary School 230 Cedar St. Worthing, SD 57077 -Monday, April 24 -- Redfield, SD Redfield Fire Deptartment 40 West 7th Ave. Redfield, SD 57469 Time: 5:30pm-10:00pm CT -Tuesday, April 25, 2017 – Brookings, SD Brookings Fire Department 607 20th Ave. Brookings, SD 57006 Time: 5:30pm-10:00pm CT -Wednesday, April 26, 2017 – Watertown, SD Watertown Fire Rescue 129 1st Ave. NW Watertown, SD 57201 Time: 9:00am-2:00pm CT The goal of these seminars is for attendees to gain ethanol emergency response training experience that can be put to use in the field, as well as pass along to other first response teams. A majority of the training is based on the "Training Guide to Ethanol Emergency Response," a training package. "BNSF is pleased to partner with RFA on these important ethanol safety seminars," said Derek Lampkin, manager of Hazardous Materials, Field Operations and Emergency Response for BNSF. "Safety is always our top priority and we want to make sure attendees have the tools they need in case of an emergency." Attendees will receive in-depth information on proper training techniques that first responders and hazmat personnel need to effectively respond to an ethanol-related emergency. While primarily targeting first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committees, it is also open to the general public. The ethanol safety seminar focuses on numerous important areas of ethanol safety including an introduction to ethanol and ethanol-blended fuels, chemical and physical characteristics of ethanol and hydrocarbon fuels, transportation and transfer, storage and dispensing locations, firefighting foam principles, general health and safety considerations and storage and pre-planning considerations. For more information or to register for these seminars, go to www.rfa.traincaster.com. For more information on RFA's ethanol emergency response, visit www.EthanolResponse.com
