The Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) at MxV Rail offers a unique training experience. And we’re proud of our track record.
When the bell rings in a firehouse or the tone goes off in a station, communities count on skilled individuals who are “trained up” to protect lives and livelihoods. Over time, SERTC has developed a reputation for exceptional training that helps communities be more resilient.
SERTC builds on success with new facilities
We leveraged all of SERTC’s experience in the last 35 years, plus the expertise of our MxV Rail colleagues and direct industry input, to reimagine and design our new training facilities. Around 2021, Team SERTC went out on the road to meet with all the hazmat managers at the Class I railroads. We talked about what the new site could look like and what was on their minds for the future. As we designed new props and built new derailments for training, that feedback was top of mind.
While we were progressing on the new site, the railroads joined the effort by donating railcars and sharing feedback through the AAR Hazardous Materials Committee. If you thought the school was cool before, wait until you see it now.
As a division of MxV Rail and a subsidiary of AAR, we benefit daily from our connection to the industry and from working with those who operate railcars daily. SERTC is among the first to know when standards are changing or hazards are escalating. We develop our training curriculum based on industry feedback so that our scenarios, classroom space, and skill-building reflect what’s most needed in the field.
This tradition is why our offerings continue to grow. While the original mission focused on railroads and tank car incidents, SERTC training proved so successful that we expanded. Today we serve not only the transportation service industry but also the public sector emergency response community, the petrol/chemical industry, government agencies and emergency response contractors worldwide.
Come Learn With Us
At the new site, props will be bigger and better, and so will the training experience. Our newly designed site features modern tank cars and highway vessels, including DOT-117 tank cars. Students will train with what they can expect to see in the field through curricula representing the latest industry standards. Team SERTC also recently expanded the playbook of SERTC scenarios, bringing to life immersive, true-to-life training experiences.
Inside the classroom, students have the advantages of all the latest tech like LED display walls, instructor touchscreens and other interactive elements that help keep the content engaging. In addition to the latest standards, our updated curriculum reflects the latest ways to help trainees retain what they learn. If you’ve been to a SERTC training, now is a great time to come back. If you’ve been thinking about SERTC training, there’s no better time than now.
About Forrest & SERTC
Forrest Wieder is Executive Director at SERTC. He has over 35 years of experience in emergency response, including service as an EMT, Paramedic Supervisor, Chief of the Hazardous Materials response team, and Deputy Director of Special Operations within the U.S. Office of Emergency Management. Forrest joined SERTC/MxV Rail in 2010 as a member of the instructional staff. The value of SERTC training was well-known to him then. It was through a Norfolk Southern scholarship, in a class similar to what is offered today, that he was first introduced to SERTC as a student.
About SERTC: The Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) at MxV Rail is a globally recognized program that brings transportation experts and first responders together in a one-of-a-kind, fully immersive training experience. In its first 35 years, SERTC trained more than 74,000 professionals worldwide in safety protocols and rapid response for various scenarios. SERTC is a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC). As a world leader in Hazardous Materials Response to all forms of surface transportation incidents, SERTC courses offer hands-on learning in a real-world environment.
About MxV Rail: MxV Rail, formerly TTCI, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads established to support the development and safe deployment of innovative technologies to increase the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the railroad industry. The team offers a full suite of advisory and research services, including training, maintaining standards, consulting, research, and testing.