CLARK COUNTY, Ohio — The governor released updated plans for a new first responder training center in East Palestine.
Governor Mike DeWine has been talking about this since the weeks after derailed tank cars spewed flames and toxic chemicals into the air, ground, and water in that community in 2023.
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News Center 7’s John Bedell learned more about the construction of the facility.
He also talked with local first responders about using this center.
The derailments in East Palestine and another one a month later on a stretch of tracks in Springfield put new focus on rail safety in Ohio.
The idea for this training center came out of the East Palestine disaster, and now it’s one step closer to reality.
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“I look at this as a real asset for the state,” DeWine said. “You know, training, police training, fire training, EMS training, these are just essential things.”
DeWine was in East Palestine Thursday morning talking about the progress on a first responder training center.
Norfolk Southern provided a $20,000,000 grant and is donating four rail cars for the facility.
When it’s finished, first responders will be able to train for all kinds of scenarios, including how to safely handle rail incidents.
“This is going to something that people are going to come from a big distance to go to school here, to get some training here,” DeWine said.
“Having a training facility that has the capability to do rail training is a huge asset,” said Gary Rettig, Dayton Regional Hazmat.
Rettig is the Hazmat Coordinator for Dayton Regional Hazmat.
He told us hands-on training, especially involving our rail network, is crucial for first responders.
We asked Rettig whether, once the center is finished, his Dayton Regional Hazmat teams would travel to northeast Ohio for training opportunities at the facility.
“Absolutely,” Rettig said. “You have a rail training in our state? To me, it’s not too far to travel to get that. That’s very valuable training for all of us to get that hands-on and be around that equipment.”
East Palestine’s Village Manager said they don’t have an exact site selected for the training center yet but have a group of possible properties in the East Palestine area.
He said they hope to break ground in the next 12-18 months.
The training center will be called the YSU RAPID Center. YSU stands for Youngstown State University.
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