Norfolk Southern Trains First Responders in Alabama

0:00It's April 8th. This is Birmingham News Today, your AI-powered local news. Norfolk Southern is rolling out training for first responders across Alabama to handle rail emergencies better. They're using a special 911 first responders locomotive that looks like a stop train but packs real lessons on dealing with wrecks and hazards. Earlier this week in Birmingham, crews got hands-on practice. Elliott Austin, the company's hazardous materials manager, points out most firefighters and cops have zero experience with train incidents after. Decades on the job. The goal is prepping them for rare but risky hazardous material spills, though Austin says they ship those goods safely, 99.98% of the time. Meanwhile, everyday crossing crashes top the list, often from drivers or walkers blowing past gates and lights. American tragedies underline the need. Two folks killed in a Birmingham train crash back in January, anywhere, one death in Chelsea last month, and a serious injury this week when a car hit a train.

1:04This push for better know-how keeps communities safer as rails stay busy, making sure responders are ready when seconds count.