by railtrailbiker
For 23 years, Metro-North has held disaster drills to prepare emergency workers to respond in case of a train wreck. Yesterday's drill in North White Plains, though, seemed especially important after the Jan. 25 train accident in Los Angeles that killed 11 people.http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs ... 00314/1018
In the Los Angeles accident, a man parked his car on the railroad tracks, triggering a train collision and a massive emergency response. In yesterday's simulated wreck, a Metro-North train also had supposedly crashed into a car parked on the tracks.
"It's a learning experience for all of us on how to get through all of this," said George Walker, Metro-North vice president of operations. "The train accident in L.A. reinforced the need to get this done properly."
More than 20 local agencies participated in the drill, which was designed to ensure that emergency services are well-coordinated in case of a real tragedy. Seven fire departments, six police departments and six emergency medical teams responded to the scene. Emergency workers practiced safety precautions, including how to avoid the electrified third rail and how to enter the train cars in a cautious, quick manner.
Aboard the trains, 120 mock victims received emergency directions from police and fire officials, who combed the cars, assessing injuries. They evacuated the most seriously injured passengers first, after securing them on backboards and passing them through emergency doors.
Altogether, 18 passengers with mock injuries were taken by ambulance to White Plains Hospital Center, Westchester County Medical Center and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, where hospital officials had set up triage stations.
