Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best: that’s what training is about. Ensuring you’re ready for any and all scenarios is the backbone of not only law enforcement agencies, but also all emergency operations.
At the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, we have a training division whose sole focus is to continuously learn and provide exercises to keep our staff prepared for all potential outcomes. During the warmer months, we host underwater explosives classes to make sure our deputies are ready in the case of an explosion on the lake. While we understand this scenario is unlikely, it is a possibility, therefore it’s imperative we are ready to handle it.
On Sunday, one of those situations we never hope to encounter happened. During the early morning hours, an Amtrak train collided with a stationary CSX train, killing the Amtrak conductor, engineer and injuring 116 passengers.
An incident of this size contains countless moving parts. Having strong relationships with not only the other immediate agencies in our area, but neighboring counties is crucial to a fluid, successful response during a tragedy. In this instance, the relationship with Lexington School District Two provided a quick answer to where survivors could go while they waited for the next step.
While we never want a tragedy like the Amtrak train derailment to happen, it is our job to be there when the accidents occur. By being ready to handle those accidents and having the strong foundation to call on others for help, we can support those who need it most and minimize the lasting effects.
I’m grateful to all the agencies who joined together to respond to the scene and all of the organizations and nonprofits who stepped up to help passengers during their hour of need in our community.