Trending Topics

Norfolk Southern to donate $825K to Ohio FD that responded to derailment, fire

The rail company has also provided $220,000 to reimburse the Village of East Palestine Fire Department for contaminated equipment

AP23054532783835.jpg

This photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, that were still on fire the following day.

Photo/Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

By Leila Merrill
FireRescue1

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern announced Friday that the company is donating $825,000 to the Village of East Palestine Fire Department, WKBN reported.

The donation will be used as a reimbursement for fire equipment used in the response to the fiery Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which led to evacuations when toxic chemicals were burned after being released from derailed tanker rail cars carrying vinyl choride that were at risk of exploding.

The rail company has already provided a $220,000 reimbursement to fund new equipment for the first responders since gear the firefighters used had to be decontaminated.


AP23035704105574.jpg

Read next

East Palestine train derailment: Lessons from disaster

The incident in Ohio serves as a reminder for all first responders to both train and coordinate early and often with community partners