Moorhead Able To Handle Hazardous Materials Emergency

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The city of Moorhead is continuing to see an increased amount of train traffic, much of it due to Bakken crude oil.

In response to that traffic, Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management is making sure the city and region are ready for any chemical disaster.

Moorhead has recently become home to the state’s second Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team, the first one being in St. Paul.

They help local fire departments monitor toxins in the air, handle leaking materials among other responsibilities.

“It’s critical I think. As a member of northwest Minnesota and living in northern Minnesota this is an absolutely vital resource,” said Moorhead Fire Department Assistant Chief Rich Eggert.

The Moorhead Fire Department has been able to handle hazardous materials for years, but they got full funding only recently.

It’s a response to all of the train traffic going through the region with hazardous material.

Officials say Moorhead won’t be the only one benefiting from the team. It will also help out the entire region.

“The St. Paul team, while they’re very well trained a very good team, are still pulling this equipment, this rig five hours from us,” said Assistant Fire Chief Eggert.

“Trains are so annoying, nobody likes them,” said Abbie Carlson of Moorhead.

Carlson lives in Moorhead and sees trains daily.

She is a photography student who moved to the area from Minneapolis.

“It makes sense that we need to be making those adjustments to how our world is adjusting so that we can be as safe as possible,” said Carlson.

Assistant Fire Chief Eggert says the amount of trains going through the city is on the rise.

“We went from 60 trains a day upwards of 120. Our chief just did a study,” said Assistant Fire Chief Eggert.

And with the addition and full funding of the response team, residents like Carlson can have a peace of mind.

When Moorhead Firefighters are hired they go through hours of training for the Emergency Response Team.