Capreol rail crossing gets emergency communication system

Sudbury's emergency services say they're on the right track with a new communication system.

They've worked with CN Rail to create a protocol that lets emergency crews know when a train is blocking Young Street in Capreol.

Here's how it works:

Sudbury's emergency dispatch centre knows they're sending resources to Young Street, across the rail line.

Dispatch calls CN's rail transportation centre in Toronto and talk to staff there.

The Toronto team tells Sudbury dispatch if the trains are in the yard, in the area or when they might expect a train to cross Young Street. 

If there's an issue, the Toronto team will co-ordinate with a CN worker in the Capreol area to guide Sudbury's emergency crews across the rail line without getting in the way of the train.

Local concerns grew protocol

The city's deputy chief of emergency services Joseph Nicholls says the city met with CN in November 2016 to create this system. They even conducted an unannounced drill in December, and everything worked as expected, according to city documents.

This entire process was a result of locals' concern. People in Capreol have raised concerns that trains block Young Street for long periods of time, so ambulances and fire trucks might not be able to make it to their destinations fast enough.

Life-threatening calls only

Nicholls says it's important for the public to understand this protocol will only happen if the situation is an actual emergency.

"When we're going there, if it's not a lights and sirens type of call, we're waiting like all other traffic," Nicholls says. 

"Same thing if once we've assessed that patient and they're not in a life-threatening condition, we would be following the same traffic rules as every other motorist and we would wait for every other motorist."

Nicholls says emergency services are looking at other areas in Greater Sudbury where this protocol might be helpful, but it only applies to the railroad crossing at Young Street in Capreol at the moment.