Look, listen, live

MAT-SU — Look, Listen, Live.

It’s good advice, and the name of a safety and emergency preparedness program for Alaska Railroad. As part of the campaign, groups of school children have fun touring a train.

Tim Thompson, spokesman for Alaska Railroad, said this year’s event is the third for the company. The last was in 2006 and the railroad is planning to host tours every other year.

Mat-Su Valley students have been enjoying the tour this past week.

Thompson said it was great to give kids a look at a train up close as well as provided a chance for firefighters, medics and other first responders a hands-on look at the train and what type of hazards they may encounter. Hazards could be anything from chemicals and flammable liquids hauled in train cars to electricity or diesel fuel in the locomotive.

Emergency personnel also trained in moving stretchers through passenger cars, which, considering their narrow walkways and 90-degree turns, isn’t an easy task.

“It’s kind of like a rolling classroom,” Thompson said.

The train also pulled something new this year — nine 180,000-gallon water tankers the railroad has stationed at Railbelt communities to assist in fighting fires.

Dennis Brodigan, director of emergency services for the Mat-Su Borough, said those tankers could be a great asset.

“Water supply, especially in our remote areas, is one of our major challenges,” Brodigan said.

The train made 10 stops in all, beginning in Seward, and spent last Wednesday through Friday in the Valley at Palmer, Wasilla and Talkeetna. From there it moves on to Healy, Clear AFS, Nenana, Fairbanks and Anchorage.

Through Look, Listen, Live, children learn about being safe around railroad tracks and how to look for trains before crossing.

Thompson said there were strong turnouts at all the Valley stops. In Wasilla, 30 emergency responders took advantage of the training and local students enjoyed tours.

Brodigan said emergency responders learned a lot of vital information if they ever need to respond to a railroad emergency, and he looks forward to regular visits from the education train.