Lodi Fire Department gives city council an update on railroad emergency protocols

Jul. 26—If a train crash caused multiple boxcars to derail in Lodi, first responders say the city could be impacted for at least three days.

And while a train derailment hasn't happened in the area for six years, Lodi Fire Department is actively updating its emergency response procedures.

Fire department staff presented its railroad emergency protocols to the Lodi City Council during Tuesday's shirtsleeve meeting.

The presentation was made in response to several citizens asking city staff about rail safety in Lodi, following the derailment of 38 train cars in East Palestine, Ohio last February.

Of those 38 cars, 11 were transporting hazardous materials that burned for three days and forced the evacuation of residents within a 1.5-miles radius of the accident.

Fire chief Ken Johnson said if a derailment were to occur in Lodi — particularly in downtown, where many pedestrians are struck — the department's first concern is location and what is being transported.

"Immediate life safety is our primary concern," he said. "And in these types of incidents, you tend to rush, rush, rush in the beginning, and then slow down toward the end to figure out what you've gotten into."

Deputy chief Tim Ortegel said hundreds of commodities are transported along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks through Downtown Lodi, and a derailment could potentially cause explosions, fires, and hazardous materials spilling onto city streets.

Ecological damage could be sustained if a derailment were to occur near the Mokelumne River, and other utilities could be damaged along track easements.

The department currently has four trucks and one engine, totaling 15 crew members, available to respond to derailment emergencies. Lodi Police Department personnel, as well as firefighters from surrounding agencies such as Woodbridge and Stockton, would be required to provide mutual aid.

Ortegel said within the first 30 minutes of a rail emergency, Lodi crews would assess the situation and work to ensure hazardous materials do not enter the city's water supply or damage nearby utilities and infrastructure. Union Pacific would then arrive within three hours with its own personnel, and within another 12 hours, the company would have heavy equipment on scene to clean up and remove the derailed cars.

Hazard mitigation and recovery efforts would then begin within 72 hours, Ortegel said.

"Everything from crude oil to alcohol — you name it — It's traversed through Lodi on the railroad system," he said. "It's going to be a long-term incident. It's going to go beyond a couple of days and its going to impact us for a little bit."

Other utilities that could be impacted by a derailment include a Kinder Morgan 10-inch petroleum pipeline that runs along the railroad easement, and PG&E's 8-inch gas transmission line that runs under the tracks at Locust Street.

Water, wastewater and storm drains are located under the tracks at various street intersections, and there are various locations along the track where Lodi Electric Utility has as many as three distribution circuits located on one pole.

To prepare, the fire department will be increasing its training efforts for such an emergency, update and strengthen its emergency operations plan, and increase the capabilities of its HazMat team.

Ortegel said there are currently four vacancies on the HazMat team, and typically there are only two or three members on duty each day.

The last time there was a derailment in the area was 2017, when 22 cars of a Union Pacific train ended up in the Cosumnes River near Elk Grove.

In 2015, a train derailed on the spur line near the former General Mills plant, and a Union Pacific train derailed just north of Lodi in 2000, where nine box cars left the tracks.

Vice mayor Lisa Craig praised the department's presentation, but cautioned that as the city places more businesses and residences near the railroad along School and Main streets, there will be a greater challenge in the future to respond quickly to emergencies in the area.

"When we're looking at putting more projects near downtown, we do need to incorporate some element that involves how we can make it easier for first responders, and how we we can make it more accessible for residents and visitors that we want to explore other parts of the city."