Crime & Safety

Train Derailment Emergency Preparedness Drill Held at Lawrence Hospital Center

By Christopher McHugh

The Metro-North train accident that killed four people and injured more than 60 in the Bronx is a reminder of the dangers of commuting in our area.

Back in May, Lawrence Hospital Center conducted an emergency preparedness exercise that simulated a train derailment at Bronxville’s Metro-North station. During the drill, hospital staff, the Eastchester Fire Department and the Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corps dealt with a scenario involving a two-car Metro-North train derailment at the station. Lawrence Hospital Center’s staff tended to 23 individuals who were posing as train derailment victims.

Since May, there have been a series of Metro-North accidents, including a crash in Bridgeport, a track worker run over in West Haven, and a freight train derailment that happened near the site of the December 1st Spuyten Duyvil crash.

“The recent rail tragedies and Superstorm Sandy prove that there is a need for preparing for disasters in all forms,” said Lawrence Hospital Center Safety and Security Director John Martin. “Drills, such as the one we had in May, help us hone our response to large scale disasters.”


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