Minutes - Council Work Session - 01/28/2014

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stabilization areas /evacuations, and to activate resources. With regard to the City's resources, it will include the railroad, Mutual Aid partners, State Patrol, North Metro CAT, Regional Hazardous Materials Team, MnPCA, Anoka County Emergency Manager, Internal Spill Control, and External Spill Control. Fire Chief Kapler described the current capacity of Ramsey, Anoka, and Champlin to use floatable booms to protect the Mississippi River, if needed. Fire Chief Kapler described past incidents with the railroad in late -1990 when a live power line fell across the railroad tracks, a 1998 propane distributor incident, and a 2004 building explosion, as well as system improvements made as a result of these incidents. He stated there is current research underway to address the quality of crude oil vessels, noting a lot travels on the railroad within Ramsey. Fire Chief Kapler advised that the City does not currently have the equipment or ability to address a multi -crude oil pileup and would have to call its mutual and agency partners. Councilmember Kuzma asked if it is a problem to not have up -to -date information on the trains that travel through Ramsey. Fire Chief Kapler advised that the County Emergency manager has initiated that request to Burlington Northern-Santa Fe to break through the existing information barrier. Councilmember Backous asked if a command center would be set up if an incident should occur and who would take the lead. Fire Chief Kapler stated initially the command post may be at an intersection and several vehicles until they get into the details. He stated the Emergency Center is within the Municipal Center or it could be at Fire Station #1. He explained a group of people would participate in a unified command. A single person would not be making all of the decisions. Councilmember Riley stated this information needs to be told to the Council as well as the community, especially with recent incidents in Canada and North Dakota involving crude vessels, so the community knows what the City has done to be prepared. Fire Chief Kapler stated they will pursue a cable broadcast containing a summary of this information. Councilmember Kuzma raised the option of Reverse 911, and asked if Anoka County has that capability. Police Captain Katers stated he does not know if Anoka County has that capacity. Councilmember LeTourneau asked if the Council needs to be on deck should an incident escalate to a certain point. Mayor Strommen stated she has the same question, especially when the media becomes involved with an incident that evolves in real time. City Council Work Session / January 28, 2014 Page 4 of 7