October 2, 2024, Pueblo, CO—Today, the Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) announced the complete 2025 lineup of specialist-level and advanced courses to train first responders in all manner of transportation hazards and support the resilience of communities nationwide.

SERTC trainings are widely recognized as the most immersive and real-world training available in the world. Courses are taught in person at MxV Rail’s PuebloPlex campus, and full-scale props and scenarios are used for live drills and training. State-of-the-art classroom facilities support knowledge building and curriculum for a comprehensive professional development experience. Ultimately, whether you are taking an intro course on rail tank cars or leadership development, SERTC courses build up emergency response skills and fill knowledge gaps to help first responders stay up-to-date and equipped in readiness.

A new addition to this year’s course calendar is the Alternative Fuels and Flammable Incident Response and Management course or “AFFIRM.” This course sprang from demand based on requests from across the industry and emergency service agencies. It was recently approved by FEMA’s National Training and Education Division (NTED) for development as a fully funded grant program.

All SERTC courses in the NTED catalog have designated funding to cover participants’ travel, transportation, lodging, meals, and course costs, meaning responders and their organizations will not incur expenses.

Visit SERTC.org to view the resident courses now open for registration in 2025 and with funding available:

• Alternative Fuels and Flammable Incident Response and Management (AFFIRM) (PER-327) – SERTC’s newest training course, expanding the flammable liquids emergency response course to include alternative fuels and electric vehicle (EV) emergency response.
• HazMat/WMD Technician for Surface Transportation (HWMDTST) (PER-293)- Combining the training requirements from an NFPA 470 hazmat technician training course with the Highway Emergency Response Specialist and Tank Car Specialist courses to ensure you’re ready to suit up and respond to hazmat incidents regardless of location.
• Highway Emergency Response Specialist (HERS) (PER-291) – Covering any type of emergency related to hazardous material transported by highway – bulk, non-bulk, tankers, intermodal, specialty containers, and more.
• Leadership & Management of Surface Transportation Incidents (LMSTI) (PER-292) – Utilizing the Incident Command System (ICS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the larger National Response Framework (NRS), this course puts you in the position of managing live teams of hazmat technicians responding in our full-scale rail and highway scenarios.
• Tank Car Specialist (TCS) (PER-290) – Comprehensive training on derailments, non-accidental releases, railroad terminology, and everything else you need to be prepared for a railroad incident taught in the most realistic way possible.

Ready to get ahead of your 2025 training? Information about SERTC’s courses, a calendar of upcoming sessions, and registration information can all be found at www.sertc.org/courses.

Media Contact: Niki Toussaint, Senior AVP Marketing & Education

niki_toussaint@aar.com, 719-671-8676

Registration Contact: SERTC Administration

sertc@aar.com, 719-584-0584