INDIANAPOLIS — When first responders encounter a train on the way to an emergency, it can delay the help to their destination.
“They have to turn around, look for another overpass to divert to a better location to get to that run,” Indianapolis Metropolitan police officer Aaron Hamer said.
This is a major issue on the city's near-east side.
The tracks in that area cross over New York, Vermont, Michigan and St. Clair streets. CSX says on average, 24 trains pass through the area each day.
Hamer said IMPD doesn’t get any notification that a train is going to be crossing, so officers have to alert each other when they see one.
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond, has filed a bill that would allow agencies to inform their first responders about a train before they even leave the police station or the fire house in the first place and allow them to respond quicker.
"The train would be responsible for contacting the police or the fireman and letting them know they’re going to be sitting on these tracks for an X amount," Jackson said.
MORE TOP STORIES| Driver critical after going airborne off I-65 and into a building | Indiana woman killed in North Carolina lion attack | Indiana woman killed in North Carolina lion attack | Car dealer agrees to pay $62K to customers after Attorney General files lawsuit | Tyler Trent loses his battle with bone cancer
Top Trending Videos
