Trains that carry hazardous materials don’t derail very often, said Michael Lunsford, director of Hazardous Materials Training for CSX Transportation.

But if a train car were to leave the track and flip over in the Golden Isles, he wants local emergency personnel to be ready.

This week, Lunsford provided free hands-on training to Brunswick and Glynn County firefighters.

The training was conducted on the CSX Safety Train, which consists of three tank cars and a boxcar that has been converted into a mobile classroom.

Hercules provided CSX the facilities and rail lines on the southeast corner of its property.

“We show them how to make repairs on the outside and inside, how the valves work and what to do when they leak,” said Lunsford. “We want local responders to have the resources to understand how our operations work.”

For local firefighters, those operations could involve a variety of products CSX transports from Brunswick to Waycross.

“We transport almost everything you buy that is imported,” said Lunsford. “If it’s from overseas, odds are it has been on one of our trains.”

Rhett Fairfield, Brunswick fire inspector, called the training exercise invaluable.

“We learned a lot that will help us in the event there ever is an incident in Brunswick,” he said.

All of the participants were quizzed at the end and given certificates of completion.

The training began Tuesday and ended Thursday afternoon.

Brunswick was the safety train’s last southern stop before heading north for the summer to train emergency responders along the East Coast.

David Antic, Hercules spokesperson, said the company was happy to provide the training facility for CSX.

“We’re doing it for the community,” he said. “We’re very fortunate that our local firefighters are getting this sort of training.”