THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF PORT COQUITLAM MEMO TO: Mayor J. Campbell. “DATE: November 19, 1979 . FROM: W.S. Wingrove, Fire Chief. _ Since the Mississauga conflagration the Fire Department has received a number of calls showing concern if this was to occur in or around Port Coquitlam. We are -all aware that this hazard has been around Port Coquitlam for many years, granted the number of hazardous commodities shipped by rail has increased but also. the ‘reguiations governing storage and transporting of these materials have become much strictor. I have had a few meetings with the C.P.R. people who operate the computors and regulate the traffic coming and going in the Port Coquitlam yard. They inform me they could -have as many as six trains a day coming into the yards with cars loaded with any of the hazardous materials that are carried by rail. One consulation is that when these trains leave Kamloops the Port Coquitlam control room receives the list of commodities, car numbers and the position they are located in the train. If their, t: ins terminate at these yards the different hazardous materials are put on the tracks: or sidings designated for that. commodity. The also informed me if such materials as high explosives or other equally dangerous material are-stored waiting to be shipped out that particular car is inspected at least every 4 hours until it leaves. Also, each day there are -about 14 propane cars shipped to Port Coquitlam. These cars are stored here until they are shipped to Port Moody. The storage time is usually only overnight as each day the Port Moody pliant processes 14 cars, and can only accommodate 14 cars at any ont time. This simply means if more than 14 full propane cars come into the yards they are held until such time the Port Moody can take them. = : My own opinion is that there is tco much concern on the hazardous material in the yards. I feel with speed limit of the trains within the yards even if a car derails for some reason it would remain upright and no spill or rupture should occur. The speed is estimated at 15 M.P.H. The derailments both in Canada and U.S.A. which have caused spills, fires and evacuations have been with trains that are travelling at greater speeds. I would think the Westwood crossing would be a vulnerable area as well as the Kingsway and Pitt River Road rail crossings. After investigation of many of these mishaps the largest factor is human error. Trains being switched onto the wrong track, cars not being properly maintained and collisions at level crossing. The G.V.sR.D. fire departments: have had many meetings on mutual aid if and when an accident occurs. The statistics on main powered equipment has been recorded and each fire department has a general idea of the help that is available. One very important aspect in dealing with more than one fire department is communications, the G.V.R.D. have a system that will temperary solve this, with portable radios and setting up of a command post. The long range arrangement will be to have each fire department have some radios on the fire commissioner's radio band. cont.