13
contusions, and fractures and then released. Amtrak reported that after the accident, an additional 175 persons filed claims stating that they had been injured as a result of the collision.
Following the accident, in accordance with FRA regulations, Amtrak required that the train dispatcher and the 10 operating crewmembers from Amtrak train 66 and MBTA train 906 be toxicologically tested. Within 2 hours, the employees arrived at local hospitals, where blood and urine specimens could be taken.
The FRA's contract toxicological laboratory, CompuChem Laboratories in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, received the specimens for analysis and tested them for the presence of ethanol, amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine, methaqualone, opiates, and phencyclidine. All employees tested negative.
Fire
At 8:24 a.m., the 911 operator notified the Boston Fire Department about the accident Upon arrival at 8:25 a.m.,[1]the fire department quickly extinguished several small fires around the locomotives Firefighters encountered small residual diesel fuel fires that caused dense smoke In about 2 hours, the firefighting and rescue operations were completed Nonetheless, the fire department maintained a detail for about 32 hours to prevent reignition while Amtrak and MBTA personnel removed debris from the accident site.
Survival Aspects
Emergency Response—At 8:24 a.m., a 911 operator received a telephone call that a train collision-derailment had occurred at Back Bay station. The Massachusetts State Police Department, Boston Police Department, Boston EMS, Boston Fire Department, and Amtrak and MBTA police and emergency personnel were notified.
The first fire department company responded at 8:25 a.m. and reported smoke from the venting system and station concourse, as well as scores of injured persons exiting the station. The firefighters immediately ordered additional rescue equipment and ambulances to the scene. They descended into the tunnel to the collision-derailment, where, amid dense smoke, they conducted a search for injured passengers and discovered the two injured engineers from Amtrak train 66 inside locomotive 272. The firefighters radioed the incident commander for additional assistance, in all, 122 firefighters worked on the accident.
At 8:27 a.m., the MBTA police were notified of a train collision at Back Bay station. They responded with 41 officers, who assisted in evacuating passengers, controlling crowds and traffic, providing station security, escorting ambulances and emergency equipment, and directing passengers to alternative transportation.
At 8:28 a.m., the first EMS units on scene began setting up triage areas for active incident, primary triage, secondary triage, patient loading, and ambulance
- ↑ A fire department station was on the street above the train station
