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COVERAGE AREA

Train cars - Tankers

Use Case- Railways

USE CASES - Railways

SCENARIO - Train Derailment
 

Scenario Overview:
In the early morning, a Central and Columbia (C&C) freight train derailed along the Roaring River, posing significant hazards and challenges. The incident involves a variety of hazardous materials, injuries, environmental impacts, and media attention. Responders must coordinate efforts to manage the situation effectively.

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Scenario Details:

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Incident Location:

  • The derailment occurred along the Roaring River, partially within Central City Riverfront Park.

  • Central City, the largest population center in Liberty County, is affected.
     

Train Composition:

  • The train consisted of 4 diesel locomotives, 23 tank cars (pressurized and nonpressurized), 12 hopper cars, and 2 cryogenic liquid tank cars containing liquid oxygen (LOX).
     

Incident Description:

  • The derailment caused several pressurized tank cars containing chlorine and anhydrous ammonia to rupture.

  • Two LPG tank cars exploded, igniting a fire.

  • Hopper cars with ammonium nitrate have spilled their contents.

  • Diesel from locomotive tanks has spilled into the river.

  • Non-pressurized tank cars released crude sulfate turpentine into the river.

  • The train Engineer is injured and receiving treatment.
     

Response Actions:

  1. Initial Assessment (incident commander):

    • Assess the extent of damage, injuries, and hazardous material releases.

    • Identify potential hazards to responders and the community.
       

  2. Evacuation (emergency management):

    • Evacuate neighborhoods adjacent to the spill due to chlorine gas risk.

    • Establish evacuation centers, such as North High School, in Central City.
       

  3. Media and Public Relations (public information officer):

    • Manage media presence and provide accurate information to the public.

    • Coordinate interviews with reporters while ensuring safety protocols.
       

  4. Command Structure (incident commander and city leaders):

    • Clarify the incident command structure and agency responsibilities.

    • Address rumors and misinformation about the Engineer's license status.
       

  5. Hazardous Material Response (Hazmat teams):

    • Contain and mitigate hazardous material releases.

    • Deploy specialized equipment and personnel for safe cleanup.
       

  6. Medical Response (Emergency Medical Agency):

    • Treat individuals affected by burning eyes and lungs.

    • Request additional medical resources if needed.
       

  7. Environmental Impact (Parks Department and State Dept of Natural Resources):

    • Assess and address environmental impacts, including the reported salmon fatalities.

    • Close the river for 25 miles downstream from the rail bridge site.
       

  8. Resource Allocation (logistics chief):

    • Coordinate with rail and Hazmat crews to remove derailed cars safely.

    • Request assistance from the state for additional resources.
       

  9. Water Supply Protection (local water authorities):

    • Monitor and protect water intakes along the Roaring River.
       

Conclusion:
This train derailment and hazardous materials incident present significant challenges, including evacuations, hazardous material containment, medical treatment, and environmental impact assessment. Effective coordination, communication, and response efforts are essential to manage the complex situation in Central City and Liberty County.

How could AFRS fire pilots benefit this team?
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FAA Collaboration
AFRS maintains a close relationship with the FAA, enabling rapid requests for Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) around emergency scenes. This preserves airspace for incident command operations.

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Interagency Communication
Unlike private drone pilots, AFRS maintains a contract with MARCS.  Where MARCS allows your dispatch center and field staff to easily communicate with responding agencies like AFRS.

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Support from Firefighter Pilots and Equipment
Given the critical nature of life-saving efforts, AFRS can summon nearby fire pilots to provide additional assistance.

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Rapid Response
AFRS, when in full operation, can mobilize up to four additional pilots who can arrive on the scene within approximately 30 minutes.  This is due to our strategic coverage areas and preplanning measures.
 

Enhanced Visual Capability
AFRS positions itself upwind in the COLD zone, allowing high-altitude surveillance with up to 200X zoom capabilities. This enables our fire pilots to identify report numbers or placard information for relay to incident command.

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Thermal Imaging
AFRS's thermal imaging technology can often detect the volume of liquids in single-wall tanks, aiding incident command in understanding environmental impacts. Additionally, it provides precise temperature measurements for exposure areas near the active fire, equipping ground teams with crucial cooling information.

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Effective Public Address System
To ensure immediate evacuation of open air forums (parks, bodies of water, ball fields, etc), AFRS can quickly broadcast recorded announcements, guiding people to safety with directional sound reaching 72db at 300 meters.

This proves useful when reverse 911 cellphone notification is delayed or impossible due to infrastructure concerns.

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All-Weather Equipment
AFRS employs enterprise-level public safety drones capable of operating in various weather conditions, including rain, snow, high winds, and freezing temperatures.

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Continuous Flight Time

Each AFRS pilot carries sufficient batteries and onboard mobile charging to maintain near-continuous flight. Quick battery swaps allow for a 45-second downtime between flights.

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Seamless Collaboration

AFRS vehicles are equipped with redundant internet connections, utilizing Firstnet and other data providers. This ensures secure streaming of content to incident command staff and stakeholders anywhere in the world.

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Documentation and Review
In large-scale incidents, all drone footage is recorded for post-incident analysis. Detailed video timestamps and coordinates enable easy documentation of important milestones.
 

This data can prove to be valuable for reimbursement from insurance companies or for court purposes.

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Training Resources
Archived videos remain accessible for years after the incident. This valuable resource allows your team to incorporate real-life scenarios into future training sessions and benefits first responders worldwide.

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DONATIONS

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VOLUNTEERS

YOU MATTER! Join AFRS and Make a Difference ​ At AFRS, we believe that many hands make light work, and your talents and wisdom can help us provide amazing emergency services to those in need. ​ We take pride in offering remote-friendly opportunities, respecting the time you dedicate to others. In many cases, you can volunteer from the comfort of your home. ​ Please note that all volunteers are subject to background checks and license verification where applicable.   Interested persons should send their resume and cover letter to todd.may@afrs.us ​ ​ Current Volunteer Positions Available: ​ BOARD MEMBERS Our bylaws require all board members to have active/retired experience in Fire, EMS, peace officers, military, or be actively employed by a national infrastructure organization (hospital, transportation, utilities, etc). ​ Board members should be able to: Effectively communicate Work remotely Participate in committees Promote AFRS Attend monthly meetings (remotely) ​ Board members can expect: Regular email communication Attendance at monthly online board meetings Acting in the best interest of AFRS Occasional attendance at functions or group meetings with AFRS customers/vendors Minimum term of office: 3 years The ideal candidate for this position would have prior board experience and uphold high moral standards. FIREFIGHTERS AFRS relies on Ohio certified firefighters to operate our public safety grade drones. Fire pilots should be able to: Perform regular firefighter duties.  - Waivers may be possible in some cases Work remotely without direct supervision Attend monthly meetings (remotely) Operate electronic devices and computers Hold an active Fire 1/2 certification Hold or obtain an FAA 107 pilot's license with night ops certification Have a clean driving record and valid driver's license Function in high-stress environments and dynamic situations ​ Fire pilots can expect: 12-hour shifts (0600-1800 or 1800-0600) No more than 36 hours of volunteer/work per week Exposure to elements and dynamic situations Rewarding training and experiences Life insurance and LOD benefits Disability/injury benefits Remote-friendly environment in many cases Leadership buy-in and genuine appreciation Live drone prophecy test ​ The ideal candidate for this position would be a certified firefighter who holds a FAA 107 license and NFPA 2400 training. ​ Considerations will be made to train up the right candidates to become drone pilots and obtain their NFPA 2400 training. ​ Candidates should also be passionate about their community and eager to learn new technologies that enhance public safety. ​ ​ DISPATCHERS AFRS recognizes the vital role that dispatchers play in our success. They are the "voice" that enables amazing things to happen within our organization. ​ AFRS dispatchers have the ability to work from home anywhere in the United States. ​ Dispatchers should be able to: Effectively communicate via voice, text, and email Have moderate or advanced computer skills Work alone and unsupervised without micro-management Adhere to policies and procedures Provide a stable/reliable internet connection from home Provide a stable/reliable Windows PC, Chromebook, or Android tablet Maintain a quiet background when handling telephone or radio activities Utilize web-based tools such as Google Maps, Open Maps, weather apps, chat, video conference, and others ​ Dispatchers can expect: Flexible shifts that suit your availability No more than 36 hours per week Fast-paced and rewarding environment Communicating with other government agencies on recorded lines Remote-friendly environment for anyone based in the US Leadership that truly values your contributions Making a difference in others' lives and enhancing community safety Regular training and one-on-one mentoring ​ Ideal candidates for this position include individuals passionate about serving the public and eager to learn new skills. ​ ​ SOCIAL MEDIA / VIDEO EDITING AFRS's emergency robotics capture a vast amount of data, including photos and videos that may need to be processed for marketing, fundraising, and training purposes. ​ This remote-friendly position is open to volunteers anywhere in the United States. ​ Social media volunteers should be able to: Perform post-processing of video content Interact with various social media platforms (TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) Process messages and respond professionally Review statistical data from each social media platform and relay trends to leadership Create slideshows or collections for gallery display or training purposes Resize, edit, crop, and alter images and video Attend monthly membership meetings Accomplish tasks without direct supervision ​ Social media volunteers can expect: Flexible schedules that fit your life No more than 36 hours per week Team environment Remote-friendly - Work from home ​ Interested persons should send their resume and cover letter to todd.may@afrs.us

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