Emergency Response The Perry County Sheriffís Office reported receiving the first 911 call about 9:04 a.m.; the office then called the Du Quion Emergency Services and Disaster Agency. The Tamaroa Fire Department responded directly to the scene. The State police were on the scene shortly after that, and police and fire department personnel began to evacuate the residents of homes near the tracks to the Tamaroa Community Center. About 140 residents were sheltered at the community center. The Du Quion emergency services coordinator arrived on the scene at 9:30 a.m. He identified the hazardous materials involved in the derailment as hydrochloric acid and methanol, and he ordered the call-up of all disaster agency personnel. By this time, several State, county, and city fire and police departments were involved in the evacuation of all residents from the middle of Tamaroa. By 12:00 noon, vinyl chloride was determined likely to be involved in the derailment, and the evacuation perimeter was expanded to a 3-mile radius from the accident site, an area encompassing about 850 people and the entire village of Tamaroa. Six additional fire departments were assisting the Tamaroa Fire Department in the firefighting effort by 2:30 p.m. Hulcher Professional Services5 hazardous materials personnel were on scene by 4:00 p.m. About 10:00 p.m., lime was brought in, and responders began using it to neutralize the hydrochloric acid. 5 Hulcher Professional Services, Inc., was one of the companies contracted by CN to perform and coordinate emergency and initial response activities at the site. Factual Information 4 Railroad Accident Report The evacuation area remained the 3-mile radius throughout the next day, Monday, February 10. By 7:00 a.m., dirt was being applied to the methanol tank cars to smother the flames, and neutralization of the hydrochloric acid spill was continuing. The fire was extinguished by about 9:30 a.m. Fixed air monitoring stations were established around the site, and at 3:15 p.m., cargo transfer operations were started. About 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday, February 11, as a damaged tank car containing methanol was being moved, an explosive re-ignition of methanol occurred. A Hulcher employee who was injured in the explosion was taken to the hospital and treated for a knee injury. As progress was made in transferring material from the derailed cars, the evacuation area was reduced to a 1-mile radius of the site at 10:00 a.m. on February 11. The evacuation area was reduced to a 1/2-mile radius on February 12. By 8:50 a.m. on February 12, the material from all but one of the methanol tank cars had been transferred. At 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, Tamaroa residents, with the exception of those living in houses adjacent to the tracks, were allowed to return home. At 7:00 a.m. on Friday, February 14, the tracks were opened and trains began moving through the area. At 8:00 a.m. on February 15, the order requiring the evacuation of the remaining homes was lifted.
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