Valhalla - Major Emergency Train vs. Car w/ MCI and Fire 2-3-15

[x635 4,066]

Date: 2-3-15
Time: 18:35
Location: Commerce St at the Metro North Harlem Line grade Crossing (adjacent to the Taconic State Parkway)
District: Valhalla
Channel: Fire 11, Fireground 8

Weather: 20 Degrees, Partly Cloudy, Light Wind, with snow and ice covering ground from storm yesterday

Units: (See Below)

Description: 5:45PM Metro North Harlem line train to Southeast from Grand Central struck SUV standing at gated grade crossing. Estimated 850+ people on board train, and at least 12 injuries and 6 fatalities. MCI declared. Train is an "M-7" electric and powered by 3rd rail. Both car and train reported to be on fire.

Units:

Valhalla FD Engine 82, Engine 83, Engine 84, Tower Ladder 49, Rescue 9, Utility 59

Hawthorne FD Engine 154

North White Plains FD Engine 74, C-2321

Elmsford FD Engine 237

Thornwood FD Engine 88, Tower Ladder 1

Briarcliff FD Rescue 37 (Cascade)

Ossining FD Engine 99 and Tower Ladder 42 (Relocate Valhalla)

Somers FD Utility 88, Car 2445 (Rehab Unit)

Pleasantville FD Engine 91 (Relocate Hawthorne FD)

Metro North FD

Valhalla VAC 82-B-1, 82-B-2

White Plains EMS (Transcare) 31-A-2

Mount Pleasant Medic (Transcare) 37-M-1

Empress EMS 87-A-1

Hawthorne FD EMS 63-B-1, 63-B-2

Pleasantville VAC 76-B-1, 76-B-3, 7605 (Rehab Unit)

Chappaqua VAC (Relocate)

Westchester EMS 45-M-1 (Relocate), 40-A-9

Cortlandt VAC 8805 (Rehab Unit)

Mount Pleasant PD

Greenburgh PD

Yonkers PD METU (MCI Bus)

MTA PD

Westchester County PD Patrol, ESU, Aviation, SOD, Commanders, LT1

NYSP Patrol, BCI

Westchester County ME Medical Examiner

WCDES Battalion 11, County Car 1, County Car 4, EMS 10, Utility 106 w/ Light Tower trailer and ARFF cans,

WCDES Technical Rescue Team Rescue 77, Utility 77, Car 2001

Notes:

19:56 Multiple Bee-Line buses enroute to transport stranded commuters

20:01 60 Control advising units not to use the term "bus" for ambulance as they have actual buses enroute and it is causing confusion

**Please reply to this thread with assigned units, additional information, corrections, and or updates if you have them**

Edited February 4, 2015 by x635
Updated

[somebuffyguy 190]

Live footage http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Metro-North-Train-Hits-Car-Valhalla-New-York-Harlem-Line-290716911.html

Good job keeping up with all the units on scene so far Seth. I think OEM was just requested/ arrived on scene. Also Cortlandt EMS enroute.

Tech rescue team now requested.

Edited February 4, 2015 by somebuffyguy

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Cortlandt VAC rehab unit en route, southbound in the northbound Taconic lanes.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

All passengers have been evacuated and all patients transported. METU to stay for Firefighter Rehab. Releasing the bulk of EMS units.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

LoHud reporting 6 fatalities.

[mikeinet 37]

Cnn reporting 6 killed and 12 injured

[chrisleak 0]

Crash occurred around 6:30 pm train left Grand Central station at approximately 5:45 pm

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

why stand by fd units from ossining isnt that a little far away?maybe armonk or west harrison white plains ?

[dwcfireman 656]

why stand by fd units from ossining isnt that a little far away?maybe armonk or west harrison white plains ?

Ossining has a lot of firefighters and a lot of apparatus. And being that many units directly surrounding Valhalla were called in, It makes sense to bring in 1 & 1 from OFD. Armonk and W. Harrison are better left alone in a situation like this to cover other calls, especially since they're both responders to the airport (which the county considers a big deal). You also have to remember that you can't strip all of your neighbors of equipment and manpower. Sometimes you have to call in someone from a few towns away so you can keep responders available for everything else. It's really like a game of chess when you bring in mutual aid and stand by companies.

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

or maybe just maybe the dispatcher is a member of said FD? thats what it is?you have fairview hartsdale sleepyhollow tarrytown just a few miles away.favoritism with few dispatchers i noticed.

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

Ossining has a lot of firefighters and a lot of apparatus. And being that many units directly surrounding Valhalla were called in, It makes sense to bring in 1 & 1 from OFD. Armonk and W. Harrison are better left alone in a situation like this to cover other calls, especially since they're both responders to the airport (which the county considers a big deal). You also have to remember that you can't strip all of your neighbors of equipment and manpower. Sometimes you have to call in someone from a few towns away so you can keep responders available for everything else. It's really like a game of chess when you bring in mutual aid and stand by companies.

i know all about mutual aid very well and i agree with you to a point.but there is favoritism.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

MTA reports that Harlem line service will likely remain shut down for the morning commute on 2/4 between North White Plains and Pleasantville. Ought to make for an interesting commute.

[dwcfireman 656]

i know all about mutual aid very well and i agree with you to a point.but there is favoritism.

Favoritism wasn't played here. It's what was needed and they were available. My experience is that you can't look into the tunnel, you have to look at the grand scheme and think outside of the box.

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

the grand scheme should get what you need there sooner then later kinda like a fast team? thats my experience tells me its not a parade.get what you need ASAP.i dont think the dispatchers should have that kind of power to show favoritism to the dept they belong to.

[INIT915 1,119]

the grand scheme should get what you need there sooner then later kinda like a fast team? thats my experience tells me its not a parade.get what you need ASAP.i dont think the dispatchers should have that kind of power to show favoritism to the dept they belong to.

Are you sure that the dispatcher took the initiative in this case or did the IC specifically request Ossining?

[jd783 64]

The IC should have called a full alarm response from the city of White Plains. they are the closest fully staffed dept. Put your egos aside and think about the people on the train. This is not a dig at any of the 1st responders that were on scene, but if I was the IC I would want more then less on scene

[FirNaTine 370]

No different then Greenville/Fairview/White Plains going to MT.Vernon on m/a when Yonkers and New Rochelle are right next door. Yes, personalities do come into play and whose family member or friends are working that tour. Call the closest and not the furthest. No rational in the other way of thinking. Let's put the safety of our Brother FFs and the Civilians first and not one's ego/feelings. Time to stop wanting to play in each others sandbox! Want to work in a busy Dept. then transfer for Christ sake! M/A should also be at the hosting Dept's IC request, and not at 60 Control's discretion. Who the hell are they anyway to determine who goes, you just send us who we request if it's possible.

[SECTMB 612]

What a tragedy. I initially thought all the deceased would have been in the vehicle. I was surprised when I read this morning that all but the vehicle driver were on the train. You know that when you have grade crossings that sooner or later, but eventually, you will have a crash, just not this bad and not to the passengers. And this is a little rhetorical, but how do you get stuck between the gates? You have to see the train coming, bust through, jump out and run, do something, I don't get it.

[SOUSGT 357]

What a tragedy. I initially thought all the deceased would have been in the vehicle. I was surprised when I read this morning that all but the vehicle driver were on the train. You know that when you have grade crossings that sooner or later, but eventually, you will have a crash, just not this bad and not to the passengers. And this is a little rhetorical, but how do you get stuck between the gates? You have to see the train coming, bust through, jump out and run, do something, I don't get it.

CNN is reporting that the third rail (it provides 800 VDC to power the train), pierced the floor of the train and may have started the fire. A witness said that the female operator of the vehicle was stopped in traffic at the crossing. The gates came down and hit the back of her vehicle. She exited the vehicle and tried to push up the gate. She then got back in her vehicle and moved it forward and was struck by the train. The train was an express and was traveling about 60 MPH.

[BFD1054 1,552]

why stand by fd units from ossining isnt that a little far away?maybe armonk or west harrison white plains ?

or maybe just maybe the dispatcher is a member of said FD? thats what it is?you have fairview hartsdale sleepyhollow tarrytown just a few miles away.favoritism with few dispatchers i noticed.

i know all about mutual aid very well and i agree with you to a point.but there is favoritism.

the grand scheme should get what you need there sooner then later kinda like a fast team? thats my experience tells me its not a parade.get what you need ASAP.i dont think the dispatchers should have that kind of power to show favoritism to the dept they belong to.

6 people lost their lives and others injured and this is what's bothering you? Get over it. Stop with the favoritism nonsense and the boo-hoo why didn't they call X, Y or Z.

Resources were called as needed during what I could only imagine to be a chaotic and overwhelming scene.

[LineCapt 134]

i know all about mutual aid very well and i agree with you to a point.but there is favoritism.

the grand scheme should get what you need there sooner then later kinda like a fast team? thats my experience tells me its not a parade.get what you need ASAP.i dont think the dispatchers should have that kind of power to show favoritism to the dept they belong to.

With this incident I doubt that very much. Seems like you just like to start arguments or bash departments without having the facts. In other topics as well. What FACTS do you have to prove your ridiculous claim that there was "favoritism"? Do you also claim to know all about dispatching and incident command as well? The departments have run cards that specify who they want for mutual aid, and Incident Commanders request specific resources.

[N1Medic 69]

Was 60 Control's Fieldcom there?

[ex-commish 490]

6 people lost their lives and others injured and this is what's bothering you? Get over it. Stop with the favoritism nonsense and the boo-hoo why didn't they call X, Y or Z.

Resources were called as needed during what I could only imagine to be a chaotic and overwhelming scene.

You beat me to it.

[Johnny 8]

On a 10-75, which this was not West Harrison TL-9 would hae gone to Vahalla, we are there backup ladder.

[petervonb 9]

I heard somewhere (sorry) that there was a motor vehicle accident on the Taconic/Bx River Pkwy near the train incident and that Valhalla FD was already on the scene?

It was said to have been a cause of a backup on the highway, leading people to use Commerce St. as a short cut.

Can anyone confirm (or plausibly deny) that for me?

Thanks

Edited February 4, 2015 by petervonb

[Dinosaur 844]

CNN is reporting that the third rail (it provides 800 VDC to power the train), pierced the floor of the train and may have started the fire. A witness said that the female operator of the vehicle was stopped in traffic at the crossing. The gates came down and hit the back of her vehicle. She exited the vehicle and tried to push up the gate. She then got back in her vehicle and moved it forward and was struck by the train. The train was an express and was traveling about 60 MPH.

I haven't been to a lot of train accidents but if you factor in the car being demolished and gas tank rupturing, sparks from the wreck and train braking and electricity from 3rd rail it's no surprise that there was a fireball.

[Remember585 815]

Based on some of these posts, I can't help but wonder if some of you were dropped on your heads as babies. What is even more concerning is how little some people know, armchair quarterback and jump to conclusions.

I have a fairly good amount of training regarding trains and train emergencies. I have - what I believe - is a wealth of knowledge of the fire service, including resources in this county and around us. I also have responded to and run a handful of incidents involving mass-casualties.

I have never - nor has 99.5% of you - had an incident like this. The people running it did a TOP NOTCH JOB, and the fact that some of you are sitting back, typing away and criticizing any decisions of the Incident Commander or any others at this incident just fortifies why I have little faith that we can ever become better as a county. Some of you posting here are officers, past officers or - God help us - aspiring officers in your respective agencies. As the Maitre D' in Ferris Bueller's Day off said, "I weep for the future."

/rant

And for the record, this is me, as a person, voicing my opinion which has no reflection of any affiliation I have or have had in the past.

[Danger 160]

Tragedy of this magnitude and people cry because they didn't get to move up to a different fire station.

[dwcfireman 656]

I have never - nor has 99.5% of you - had an incident like this. The people running it did a TOP NOTCH JOB, and the fact that some of you are sitting back, typing away and criticizing any decisions of the Incident Commander or any others at this incident just fortifies why I have little faith that we can ever become better as a county. Some of you posting here are officers, past officers or - God help us - aspiring officers in your respective agencies. As the Maitre D' in Ferris Bueller's Day off said, "I weep for the future."

Thank you! I was there, and the troops did a fantastic job. I have never seen anything like this in my career, and hopefully this will be the only time. I understand it's easy to Monday morning quarterback, but people forget that there is mass confusion, communications breakdowns, and just utter chaos with incidents like this. It's best that those of us there take this as a learning experience and pass it on to the next generation of emergency personnel, because they will need to learn from this so the job is done even better next time.

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

No different then Greenville/Fairview/White Plains going to MT.Vernon on m/a when Yonkers and New Rochelle are right next door. Yes, personalities do come into play and whose family member or friends are working that tour. Call the closest and not the furthest. No rational in the other way of thinking. Let's put the safety of our Brother FFs and the Civilians first and not one's ego/feelings. Time to stop wanting to play in each others sandbox! Want to work in a busy Dept. then transfer for Christ sake! M/A should also be at the hosting Dept's IC request, and not at 60 Control's discretion. Who the hell are they anyway to determine who goes, you just send us who we request if it's possible.

my point the ego.s and power trips not that of the IC but at 60 controls discretion sending family and friends and to the dept they belong to.safety to FF.S and civilians comes first.