NJ Transit police officers complete rescue operations training at Disaster City

COLLEGE STATION – The New Jersey Transit Police Department is sending two squads of approximately 20 officers through structural collapse and rescue courses at Disaster City?, a search and rescue training facility operated by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX).

The group has completed the first course, Structural Collapse Rescue Operations, and will return for Structural Collapse Technician 2
and Advanced Structural Collapse 3, 4 and 5. Their training will culminate with the Passenger Rail Rescue
course, which will include other emergency responders from partnering agencies.

As first responders to an incident at a train station involving structural collapse, whether caused by a natural disaster or terrorism, the NJ Transit police special operations squads are getting specialized training they would need to save lives.

The transportation system was recently impacted by superstorm Sandy, and has a train station just steps from MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands of East Rutherford, NJ. The stadium will host the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl on Feb. 2, 2014. NJ Transit recently awarded contracts to TEEX for preparedness and emergency response training, exercises and on-site exercise planning support.

“This is our first time at Disaster City,” said Captain Robert Noble of Special Operations, NJ Transit Police Department, who has previously participated in training at the TEEX Emergency Operations Training Center. “It’s excellent. This is a great facility with real-life scenarios. There is no place like this. The instructors are knowledgeable and add their own personal experiences.”

Officers in the Structural Collapse Rescue Operations course learned the basics of lifting, shoring, and breaching and breaking. The 50-hour class concluded with a scenario in Disaster City that incorporated the skills they learned during the week.

About Disaster City?, College Station, Texas
Disaster City is 52 acres of simulated catastrophe, including rubble piles, collapsed buildings, train derailments and much more. It’s the largest and most comprehensive urban search and rescue training facility in the world and is part of the Emergency Preparedness Campus of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX).