CSX Tunnel Fire (Baltimore, MD - July 18, 2001) » Conclusion

The investigation as to the cause of the CSX train derailment is still pending at the time of this report. One conclusion that can be drawn, however, is that the response, fire suppression, and containment activities were successful in part because of previous disaster response planning and field exercises. Mutual aid agreements and a designated command structure provided the framework for coordination and cooperation among city and state officials. Practicing response exercises involving unified command and multi-agency response paid off in measurable ways. The CSX train derailment put the City of Baltimore’s Emergency Response Plan to the test, and overall, officials were pleased with the response. While the lessons learned from this incident provided the City with critical information on where the Plan could be improved, officials saw first-hand the value of their on going efforts in emergency response planning. At a time when cities across the country are considering the potential impact of a terrorist incident, Baltimore’s successful example of comprehensive pre-disaster planning points to why such activity is so essential, particularly when it is structured around the incident command system. The threat of incidents involving weapons of mass impact–chemical, radiological, biological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives–places higher demands on government to develop and test strategies and tactics for commanding multiple agencies during complex incidents over extended periods of time. Baltimore has taken major steps toward accomplishing this goal.