Railroad urged to share quicker

911 dispatchers ask Norfolk Southern to be more forthcoming about accidents

After learning of two recent Norfolk Southern derailments through a TV-station Facebook page, local emergency management officials asked the railroad to be more forthcoming about such accidents in the future.

The company official they met with said he'd take their request to his superiors, according to Blair County Emergency Management Director Mark Taylor, speaking at a meeting Wednesday of the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Emergency management officials want Norfolk to inform the county 911 center when there's a derailment in a place visible to the public, so they can get the word out to the public right away, allaying worry and preventing the kind of run on 911 calls that occurred with the recent minor derailments, both at the Horseshoe Curve, according to Taylor and Logan Township Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Blake, who chaired the LEPC meeting.

Much of the Norfolk Southern mainline in Blair County is easily visible to the public, and when railcars go off the track, people call to find out why, Blake said.

The railroad labeled the recent derailments insignificant, because they occurred on private property and there were no injuries or hazardous materials spilled, according to Taylor.

The second derailment occurred while the 911 center was dealing with a police-involved shooting, a fatal accident and two cases involving cardiopulmonary resuscitation, so the derailment calls added unnecessary pressure at the dispatch center, according to Taylor.

Blake learned about one of the derailments from a fire chief who'd seen WTAJ's Facebook page.

He then logged onto the railroad company's communication system to find out what had happened, to ensure there was no hazard, he said.

Then he spoke with the local trainmaster directly, he said.

After that, he sent a message to police, fire and ambulance services that there was no hazard, that Norfolk Southern had the situation under control and that they should stay away from the area.

It would have been simpler had the railroad informed the 911 center right away that there was nothing to worry about, Blake indicated.

Norfolk Southern is taking steps to minimize the likelihood of such derailments, Taylor said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.