VIDEO: Rail cars carrying hazardous materials travel through Iowa every day. When accidents happen, first responders need quick access to critical information to protect communities. The Dubuque Fire Department responded to a train derailment in February 2015 when more than ten train cars derailed in rural Dubuque County, sparking a fire from spilled ethanol.
Dubuque Fire Captain Jason Leuken was one of the first responders on the scene. “Nice and cold outside. Kept the fire nice and small, but the railroad was there for multiple days, cleaned everything up,” Leuken said. No one was hurt in the incident.
Leuken said it was one of two train derailments involving hazardous materials in Dubuque County over his 17 years with the department. “They are few and far in between, so it’s one of those high risk, low frequency type of calls,” Leuken said.
TV9’s national i9 team found at least 1619 derailments involving trains carrying hazardous materials have occurred since 2020. Proper response in these high risk situations comes down to training and resources available, according to Dubuque Fire Department Bureau Chief of Training Martin FitzPatrick. He said a hazmat awareness course is required for all new hires, but the specialty teams who would respond to a train derailment involving hazardous materials get training every other month.
FitzPatrick noted time can be an issue for smaller, more rural departments. “A lot of these other departments, they’re doing everything they possibly can with what they have, but they don’t have full-time staff,” said FitzPatrick. “They’re doing a great job of responding when emergency calls. We’re here 24/7, so we have the capability and the resources to respond properly.”
One resource helping the Dubuque Fire Department is the Ask Rail App. Developed by the rail industry, it lets more than two million first responders nationwide see what hazardous materials are in rail cars for free. “The biggest benefit to that is it’s real-time information at our fingertips that we can access and get intelligence on it,” FitzPatrick said.
FitzPatrick said the app also gives information about needed evacuations depending on the derailed material, helping first responders develop a plan faster to protect communities from what could be a dangerous spill.