Canadian National Railway (CN) announced Dec. 18, 2015 that more than 1,500 first responders along its rail network have downloaded the AskRail mobile app to access real-time information about the contents of rail cars in their communities.
As of this month, more than 1,000 firefighters, emergency response managers and police officers in Canada have signed up for AskRail, plus nearly 500 from communities in the United States along CN's network.
Through AskRail's mobile interface, emergency responders—the only parties eligible to use this mobile application—can view railcar content through a simple search. The app, developed by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) of which CN is a member, also can provide railway emergency contact information and reference resources to support incident response.
"AskRail provides relevant information to emergency responders at the outset of an incident, which helps them make better informed decisions about how to respond effectively to a rail emergency," said Sam Berrada, CN Vice President of Safety and Sustainability. "CN continues to encourage first responders to download this important tool on their mobile devices."
First responders along CN's network can get more information at www.askrail.us and can request the app, in English or French, by emailing CN at askrail@cn.ca.