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9/22/2023
Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday broke ground on its First Responder Training Center in East Palestine, Ohio.
The center will provide ongoing, free training for first responders from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the greater region. The center will further strengthen coordination between railroads and first responders and build upon the railroad’s Operation Awareness and Response (OAR) program, which trains 5,000 first responders annually across its 22-state network.
NS will invest at least $20 million in the new center over the next 10 years, NS officials said in a press release. The center is temporarily operating out of the NS rail yard in Bellevue, Ohio, where more than 400 local emergency personnel have received training this year.
Preliminary designs for the new facility are currently in development by architecture and engineering firm, Arcadis.
"First responders are heroes, and we aim to ensure they have the training and expertise to do their jobs safely, no matter the situation. We are grateful to East Palestine's leaders for partnering with us to make this training center a reality,” said NS President and CEO Alan Shaw.
The center is part of the railroad’s efforts to help the region recover from the Feb. 3 NS train derailment in East Palestine.