Kingston Fire Department Develops Plans for Major Oil Train Accidents

I remember the first time I went to Kingston to meet my future father-in-law, I was surprised by the number of train tracks in town. When we visited him at the Kingston hospital, I once again was struck by the number of tracks and how close they were to neighborhoods, businesses, even the hospital itself. No one wants to think about bad things happening, but the thought of how many people could be hurt if there was a train accident, and how would we get to the hospital, crossed my mind from time to time.

Of course, I am not the only one who has had this thought and the folks that can actually help in such a scenario are way ahead of me. According to the Daily Freeman, the Kingston Fire Department have developed plans in case of a catastrophic accident involving a train carrying oil. Accidents and subsequent explosions involving trains and crude oil have happened in other populated areas, so it's very comforting that not only the Kingston Fire Department, but other departments throughout Ulster county, have response plans in place.

Firefighters have been working and training for months on everything from a remote-controlled foam trailer, other specialized fire fighting equipment, emergency shelters, an evacuation plan, and more have been taken into account and trained for. According to The Daily Freeman, Kingston is ahead of the curve.

We all know that fire fighters put their lives on the line every time they respond to a call, but to know that they have worked so hard to prepare the best they can to be able to save lives if such a catastrophic situation occurs, is once again going above and beyond. I say thank you.