WSOR News Archive

WSOR Participates in Emergency Responders Training at Spring Grove, Illinois









Photos copyright 2008 and courtesy of Robin F. Pendergast Photography, Inc.
Spring Grove, IL – It may be at the far end of Wisconsin & Southern’s system of trackage, but that doesn’t diminish the community’s importance or WSOR’s dedication to public safety. And that point was driven home when WSOR participated in a training exercise for emergency responders from three counties (McHenry, Lake, and Cook) at the railroad’s Spring Grove, Illinois location on March 15, 2008.

One of the benefits of this particular training was to familiarize emergency responders with railroad equipment on a one-on-one basis. A mock vehicle/train crash scenario was represented with an actual automobile (from a local junkyard) and the extrication of two injured passengers from the wrecked vehicle. To add to the training, the trains locomotive engineer was also extricated from the locomotive cab on a stretcher. The train’s conductor played an additional role in a hazardous materials/decontamination scenario with a leaking tank car.

Wisconsin & Southern’s manager of training Bob Witzack was pleased with the results: “The firefighters and other responders showed a high level of professionalism. It was a very creditable and successful exercise that will give them practical experience to deal with an actual emergency, if it should occur.”

Fifty-one responders and four volunteers (who posed as injured parties) participated in the exercises, which lasted for 4 1/2 hours. To prepare for the exercises, WSOR held 1 1/2 hours of classroom training at the Spring Grove firehouse on February 28.

WSOR has provided equipment and personnel for emergency response training at many locations throughout its entire system over the years as part of its commitement to safety for its employees, the public, and the communities it serves.