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Rail Awareness in Nevada

The RATs Are At It Again

 

The Situation


On Sunday evening, around 6:30 PM, a couple of RATs were monitoring the scanner and highway cameras along I80 when a fire near Verdi, NV was spotted. After communicating with one another, it was determined that a call needed to be made to Union Pacific's RMCC (The Emergency Call Center) and let them know about the fire near or on their tracks, that was later determined to have been caused by a car fire on I80.

RMCC had not been notified by Truckee Meadows Fire or any other Emergency Responders Group. They were very thankful for the information and even asked what our opinion was about stopping the trains. The RAT on the phone informed them that we couldn't make that call and it would probably be best for them to send out Maintenace of Way personnel to check out the scene. While continuing to listen to the scanner, we heard that there were fire trucks and personnel on and near the tracks. 

Later Sunday evening, the same RAT called RMCC back to give them an update regarding the fire's progress and situation. RMCC replied that all train traffic had been stopped and was being held in Truckee and Mogul. RMCC also stated that no Emergency Responders Group had yet to call them. The following morning, RMCC reached out to the original RAT that had called on Sunday evening, wanting to know what the current situation was with the fire and if it would be okay to send the westbound Amtrak 5 through the area. Our RAT responded very professionally, telling them that as RATs we cannot make that decision and strongly suggested they call Truckee Meadows Fire directly. Again, RMCC was very appreciative of all the information that the Rail Auxiliary Team had provided for them.

What We Learned

  1. As RATs, we need to be aware of situations around us - knowing what is normal versus something not quite right.
  2. Have resources available to us as we assess a situation.
    Railroad Crossing Locater App - Shows your location and the crossings around you.
    Hazardous Materials App - Details what material are carried in a specific tank and safety directions.
    Scanner App - Listen to the local emergency dispatch.
  3. All RATs need to be prepared to call RMCC if a situation arises.
    Do you know the number for RMCC?  888-877-7267
    Do you know the current location (the nearest rail crossing) of the incident? Get the Railroad Crossing App mentioned above.
  4. The RAT team needs to continue its education of Emergency Responders and what they should do when an incident is on or near rail tracks.

Thanks again to the RATs on Sunday evening that spotted this fire, reported it to RMCC and made a very positive impression with the folks at RMCC!

Keep looking, watching and do what RATs do - help to keep people safe around the railroad tracks and trains.

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