Earlier in the year, a Norfolk & Southern train comprised of more than 100 freight cars experienced a mechanical failure and derailed near the small village of East Palestine (OH), about 15 miles south of Youngstown near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line.
Dozens of cars were crumpled in an accordion-shaped pile astride the tracks and amidst the barren winter branches of the adjacent tree line.
After surveying the scene, officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that among the 20 rail cars on the train carrying a hazardous material called chemical vinyl chloride, ten had derailed and lay precariously on their sides like an overturned toy.
What they’re saying: According to the Associated Press, residents in the immediate vicinity were warned to “leave immediately or face the possibility of death,” and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro urged anyone within a two-mile radius of the site “shelter in place” and “keep their doors and windows closed.”
One group of people who didn’t have that luxury was the first responders tasked with addressing and reducing the threat to the public. This event serves as a reminder about the importance of training in chemical hazard response. As the incident in Ohio shows the importance of making hazmat training a priority for law enforcement and firefighters. Properly trained first responders should be able to at least identify the level of danger within the first few moments of being on the scene. They should also have the knowledge to potentially initiate the best and safest possible course of action to protect people, property, and the environment.