New app to cut rail accidents, aid first responders

Maintaining and growing Kentucky’s leadership in the Appalachia region’s production of plastics and other chemical-based products is vital to our economy.

But as Kentucky continues to attract new petrochemical industry investment that could mean more hazardous materials moving by rail, we must also prepare first responders with tools and technology they need to keep communities safe in the rare case an accident occurs.

Appalachia, and Kentucky in particular, has long been a leader in energy production. In fact, 40 percent of the 636,000 rail carloads that leave Kentucky each year are filled entirely with coal.

Now, with the changing nature of the energy industry and the expansion of alternative sources from natural gas to petrochemicals, the region is on track to become a new petrochemical hub, second only to the industry’s Gulf Coast epicenter.

To support the region’s emerging petrochemical industry, the 12 freight railroads operating 2,600 miles of track across Kentucky are prepared to move these products to and from their destinations.

Freight rail is already a critical component of Kentucky’s economy — responsible for connecting consumers and businesses statewide by moving massive quantities of cargo.

In 2014 alone, Kentucky’s rail network carried nearly 254 million tons of freight.

Of course, the best way to keep the people of Kentucky safe as the petrochemical industry grows is to prevent accidents from occurring in the first place.

Fortunately, freight rail has invested $635 billion over the past 20 years in infrastructure and new technologies to do just that. As a result, rail accidents involving hazardous materials have dropped by 74 percent over the past decade, and these materials safely reach their destinations more than 99.99 percent of the time.

But even with these improvements, accidents can still occur. In event that they do, it is crucial that first responders have all of the information and communication channels they need to quickly formulate a plan to save lives and mitigate the damage.

And with a new mobile application — developed by freight rail in partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs — first responders on the scene of a rail incident involving hazardous materials can access these resources right at their fingertips.

The app, called AskRail, enables a steady flow of vital information that helps emergency personnel identify rail cars carrying hazardous material such as petrochemicals as well as the location of key community assets, including schools, rivers and heavily populated neighborhoods, that are more vulnerable to contamination.

AskRail also connects first responders with emergency services for all major Class I railroads and Amtrak while preparing them to respond safely through tailored guidance on how to manage specific dangerous materials such as petrochemicals.

For the freight rail industry, preventing accidents in the first place remains its top priority, but AskRail is another tool that first responders can access to keep themselves and their communities safe if an accident occurs.

In Kentucky and throughout Appalachia, the petrochemical industry has boosted the region’s economy. In the state legislature, our job is to support this economic growth while ensuring that it does not come with any unanticipated costs.

But innovative technologies like AskRail serve as an example of how private businesses can share some of this responsibility to support growing industries while doing everything they can to keep local communities safe.

This story was originally published April 2, 2018 at 12:29 PM with the headline "New app to cut rail accidents, aid first responders."