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| NEWS - July 27, 2010 |
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| Railroad slows down emergency vehicles |
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stephanie dubois
Post Staff
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When there is a fire or a car accident in Lac La Biche County, the minutes between dispatch and arrival of firefighters can mean life or death for people in trouble.
And for LLB firefighters, minutes ticked by on July 19 when they were stopped on the way to a vehicle fire south of Lac La Biche for more than five minutes by a train crossing the tracks near the A&W around lunchtime.
"With firefighting, you get minutes, and those minutes wasted may mean it might be too late for someone," said LLB Fire Chief Curtis Stuparyk.
In Monday’s incident, local firefighters contacted the train company to say they were on an emergency call and to move the train. CN crews responded quickly, un-coupling rail cars and clearing the intersection, allowing the firefighters to get to the truck fire and put out the fire safely.
Stuparyk says because the CN line is now more active his crews are being blocked more frequently.
CN officials say that the railroad company tries to clear the tracks for firefighters and emergency vehicles as quickly as possible.
"We’re always working with emergency responders and ensure they always have contact with train dispatchers to try and move the train," said Warren Chandler, a CN Communications Officer for Alberta.
But Lac La Biche’s mayor says that is not enough.
"Anytime firefighters or other emergency vehicles have to wait five minutes for the train, it is five minutes too long," said Kirylchuk, adding that the LLB County Council are working with CN to get the train switching yards out of town.
"We have been talking with CN officials and are trying to have greater access for emergency vehicles during crisis situations by having less trains coming through Lac La Biche," said the mayor.
The LLB fire chief agrees that it would be great if the switching tracks were moved out of the area and would make things easier for them with less trains blocking their way.
Many residents have also told the their municipal councillors they want the tracks out of town because of safety concerns, said Kirylchuk.
Those safety concerns are not just about blocking traffic, but also about pedestrian crossing.
"The relocation of the tracks would not only improve resident safety by allowing the firefighters to travel quicker to fires and accidents, but would also mean people can cross the tracks safely," he said. |
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