Practice Responses to Extreme Events on the Railroad: Exercises of the Plans and Training

Abstract:

Emergency management for extreme railroad events is a “seldom-used skill,” and responses typically involve many railroad personnel and outside agencies that seldom work together. The emergency management system offers a framework to establish coordination quickly, but it must be practiced through exercises, since (ideally) it will be needed only for a few real incidents. This document serves as a guide to these exercises. The exercises outlined in this document allow the participants to understand the connections and collaboration necessary for successful outcomes, and to see, hear, and do the required activities, which leads to the best information retention by adults. Multiple types of exercises are described in detail to allow emergency management staff to accomplish various levels of familiarization, development, and practice with railroad staff and collaborating agencies. Successful exercises build confidence in railroad staff so that they can work successfully under the high-pressure environment of a real event.

This is part of an ongoing series of publications/resources focused on preparing railroad organizations to respond to extreme events. Other publications in this series are:

1. Identify the Problems: Threat and Hazard Inventory and Risk Assessment (THIRA)

2. Address the Problem: Develop an Emergency Operations Plan for Extreme Events

3. Field Personnel Respond: Incident Command System (ICS) for Extreme Events on the Railroad

4. Managerial Personnel Respond: Augment the Emergency Operations Center for Extreme Events

5. Practice Responses to Extreme Events on the Railroad: Exercises of the Plans and Training

Wildfire Scenario

A Discussion about Setting up a Sand Table Exercise

Sand Table Exercises for Rail Transportation Professionals

Setting Up Your Sand Table for the Incident Command System Exercise

Iron Horse: Example of a Facilitated Exercise

Publications:

Practice Responses to Extreme Events on the Railroad: Exercises of the Plans and Training

Authors:

FRANCES L EDWARDS, MUP, PHD, CEM

Frances L. Edwards is the deputy director of the Mineta Transportation Institute’s Allied Telesis National Transportation Security Center, professor emerita in the San Jose State University Political Science Department, and an instructor in the Master of Science in Transportation Management for MTI. She also teaches courses for TSA Surface Inspectors through ENSCO. She is the Principal Investigator for this research. She is the co-author of four books, fourteen publications for MTI, and numerous articles and book chapters. She is a certified emergency manager with more than 20 years’ field experience.

DANIEL C GOODRICH, MPA, CEM MEP

Daniel C. Goodrich is the senior transportation security scientist for the Mineta Transportation Institute, and an instructor in the Master of Science in Transportation Management for MTI. He also teaches courses for TSA Surface Inspectors through ENSCO. He is the co-author of Introduction to Transportation Security and ten reports for MTI. He is a certified emergency manager, a master exercise practitioner, and a certified security specialist. He has worked in emergency management for local government and the private sector, and has sixteen years’ active military service, including US Marine Corps Security Forces.

Published:

February 2026

Keywords:

Extreme events

Normal emergencies

Incident Command System

Emergency operations center

Wildfires

Hurricanes