TRAINING
What’s app with the railroads?
Like just about everything else on earth, the
railroad industry has some very significant mo-
bile apps available in all areas of railroading. Here
are two that every law enforcement officer should
put on his or her phone or computer – they may
very well save lives.
Ever wonder what was actually being carried
THOMAS J. on those trains rolling through your communi-
ty? Guess no more. With the AskRail app, first re-
JEDIC
sponders can eliminate the guesswork and have
hard facts that are critical at the time of a disaster,
derailment or other emergency activity on the rails.
AskRail is an app that requires an application and involves
a process in which the requestor is vetted to ensure that he or
she is in law enforcement. Once verified, you are granted ac-
cess to a world of information. The home screen allows you to
simply place the car number of your rail car(s) in question and
hit “search.” The response, in real time, will supply you with vi-
tal information as to whether the car is loaded or empty and
whether it contains any hazardous or combustible material. It
also has pages on who to contact and how to handle the situa-
tion if an emergency arises.
The AskRail app is a rapid safety tool that you simply can’t
work without if you have any rail assets in your community or
in a nearby town that you may assist. Think about how much
faster you can act with the accurate knowledge of what is in the
74
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ JUNE 2018
rail cars at the scene.
AskRail is very similar in archiving as our NCIC/CJIS systems
are. Simply put: Don’t run rail cars randomly for fun. It’s a se-
rious tool that keeps a detailed account of every car that’s run,
and the date, time and person who searched are kept on re-
cord. All of this is meant ensure that the app isn’t misused or
engaged in any criminal activity. That being said, AskRail en-
courages you as a first responder to use the app whenever you
require information on a rail car’s content.
For example, at a derailment scene, it may be very important
to know what is in the box car or tank car that you’re close to.
Always have binoculars with you, and once you can identify the
rail car numbers, simply type them in. Within in seconds, the
information is at your fingertips and can be passed on to fire-
fighters or hazmat teams.
Another app worth checking out is the Grade Crossing Loca-
tor app. Also free, it is a GPS-driven mapping app which iden-
tifies the crossing and vital information to rely on. You’ll no
doubt use these two rail-related apps one day, and they could
make all the difference in the way an event is resolved.
Be safe and visit www.uctoa.com for an online version of the
NJ Railroad Law Enforcemen t Guide. d
Special Agent Thomas J. Jedic is a firearms instructor in Area 4
for the Norfolk Southern Railroad Police. He can be reached at
[email protected] or 908-820-2623.