TRAIN DERAILMENT

Dispatch Challenges in San Joaquin

Not a single call had come into the Sheriff's Communications Center concerning the derailment and subsequent hazmat spill, which occurred on Simplot property. The company evidently attempted to handle the incident in-house, using its own fire department. With coincidental the activation of the alarm and arrival of sheriff's deputies at 11:24pm, however, a public safety response began.

The dispatcher's first inclination that the incident involved a train came when the sheriff's deputy arrived on scene and reported that a train derailment "may have set off the alarm." The deputy requested CHP for traffic control, and noted this was a possible hazardous materials incident.

Primary and Secondary law dispatchers handled the incident, making necessary calls to CHP and Public Works as requested by the deputies at the scene. Fire response was not a request by on scene units as there was no report of fire or injury.

At 11:58pm, Fire dispatcher Shellie Kline received a call from the State OES Warning Center, advising of a train derailment at the Union Pacific Railroad tracks crossing DeVries road, which she recognized as the location of the deputies. OES provided additional details regarding the toxicity of the train cargo involved, which Shellie updated into the police incident being handled by the law dispatchers.

Shellie asked if fire response was needed. The deputy on scene advised no, that the Union Pacific Railroad and Simplot employees were going to handle the scene. No further assistance was needed. The County Office of Emergency Services was requested to respond at 12:09am

Due to road closures and request for OES, Kline notified the Woodbridge Fire Department via phone to advise them of the situation, but they were not requested. However, at 12:17am, they were requested by the on scene sheriff's deputy, due to extended response of the OES and Public Works crews.

Upon completion of the incident, it was determined approximately 1,000 gallons of latex paint and 160 gallons of diesel fuel were spilled. San Joaquin County's public safety responders took a support role, as Union Pacific Railroad hazmat experts took charge upon their arrival, as the entire incident occurred on Simplot property.

The incident itself, while not unusual, was complicated by the lack of notification by the railroad and the business owner that a derailment had occurred. This took both responders and disapatchers by surprise. The chemicals that were on board had a serious potential to cause injury to area residents, employees, passerbys, and responders. "Dispatchers who do not handle critical incidents - or those with the potential to become critical incidents, such as this - would benefit from continual training in such emergencies," said Kline. "Frequent practice scenarios would provide dispatchers with the capability to foresee actions which would make the handling of such an incident smoother."