COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — CSX Transportation, based in Jacksonville, Florida, held a three-day training in Columbus this week after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called on the company and Norfolk Southern to educate the state’s first responders on how to properly respond to train derailments and accidents.

DeWine made the request following the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

CSX’s President and CEO Joe Hinrichs said the company normally performs 40 trainings throughout the year and will hold more at the governor’s request.

The trainings took place at CSX Parsons Railyard and included about 100 hazmat teams, bomb squads, and other specialized personnel from across central Ohio. The trainings consist of responders learning how to operate rail car valves that seal in hazardous materials.

They also learn about an industry app called Ask Rail that shows them what materials are in which rail car.

“First responders are oftentimes the first to respond to an incident, if there were to be one, on a railroad and they don’t see these cars or these trains very often,” Hinrichs said. “So getting people familiar with the equipment, getting them comfortable with the equipment, getting them familiar with how you access information like what’s on this train, what’s on this car, what kind of material are there, are all very important so people are ready to respond when they’re ever called to that.”

Hinrichs said another training will take place in the Cincinnati area next month.

DeWine and Norfolk Southern Corporation previously announced the creation of a first responders training center to improve and expand firefighter training to better prepare for disasters involving hazardous materials. Training classes were set to begin March 22 at Norfolk Southern’s Moorman Yard in Bellevue, Ohio.