Crime & Safety

Q&A: How Fridley Fire Department Handled Derailed Train

Fridley's fire department 'had overall command of the incident.'

Fridley Patch asked Fridley Fire Chief John Berg via email about his department's response to the at the BNSF railroad bridge over Rice Creek. 

Fridley Patch: How many firefighters/units responded?

Fridley fire responded to the accident initially with a rescue truck and the two on duty staff at 0713. At 0721 they requested a general alarm which brought back eighteen fire department personnel from home. They staffed three Engines an Aerial Ladder and Two rescue trucks.

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Firefighters responded to and assisted in moving two railroad employees to an Allina ambulance for transport. Firefighters then monitored the stability of the rail bed and locomotives and cars as water continued to wash out the material under the tracks. Fridley Fire also provided a boat and booming material to catch fuel from the locomotives in Rice Creek.

Firefighters from Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center responded with boats and deployed containment boom in and Rice Creek. The Anoka County Specialized Rescue Team provided a boat and also assisted with deploying containment boom. Columbia Heights Firefighters covered the City of Fridley should there have been another emergency call.

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Fridley Patch: What aspects of the response was your department in charge of?

Berg: The Fire Department had overall command of the incident was in charge of the rescue/medical emergency, establishing a safe zone and the identification of hazards  and containment of the hazardous material. The police department was delegated the responsibility of securing the area and public information. Anoka County Emergency Management was also on scene to assist with resources. Fridley Public Works and the Anoka County Highway Department assisted with controlling the water level in the lake and clearing standing water and providing barricades.

Fridley Patch: Do you have a plan with the railroad and did this go according to plan?

Berg: We did not have a formal plan with BNSF for a derailment in this location but we are familiar with the BNSF hazardous material staff and the equipment being used to contain the spilled material. BNSF staff directed the deployment of containment boom.


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