NEW
YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RapidSOS,
the intelligent safety platform that securely links life-saving
data from connected devices, apps and sensors directly to first
responders, and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC), unveiled Thursday
their rail safety solution. The partnership aims to further the
availability of critical information for first responders in rare
significant incidents.
As an industry leader with a focus on advancing safety, Norfolk
Southern continuously seeks new ways to partner with first
responders. Rail incidents involving hazardous materials are rare,
but when they happen, accurate train information is critical for
first responders.
RapidSOS and Norfolk Southern's solution, which is free to
public safety agencies across the U.S., provides first responders
quick and easy access to cargo and hazardous material information,
enables mutual aid requests, and provides ongoing training. The
feature builds on similar programs available in the industry and
evolves communication in a way that better integrates first
responders, the way they work and how they communicate.
"Norfolk Southern is committed to being an industry leader in
safety," said John Fleps, Norfolk
Southern's Vice President of Safety. "When a rail incident occurs,
seconds count. Through our partnership with RapidSOS, 911 call
centers and first responder agencies throughout our 22-state
network will have faster access to the information they need to
safeguard their response, save lives, and protect the communities
in which we operate."
How it Works
One of the key features of this
collaborative effort is the ability to provide real-time data and
situational awareness to emergency response teams.
In the event of a rail emergency, Norfolk Southern will initiate
a digital emergency alert through RapidSOS, digitally transmitting
critical information, the location of the incident and
what the train is carrying to first responders empowering a
safe, swift, and more informed response during a rail emergency,
the data also:
- Highlights any hazardous material the train may be carrying at
the top
- Provides safe handling and emergency response guides for those
materials
- Is easily shared via text or email from 911 to field responders
and any mutual aid partners
"Our partnership with Norfolk Southern will provide first
responder agencies with contextual data and information to respond
in the rare event of a train emergency," said Karin Marquez, Chief Public Safety Brand Officer at RapidSOS. "We are thrilled to
work with Norfolk Southern to support our heroes in public safety
to keep communities prepared and safe."
Norfolk Southern and RapidSOS conduct thousands of training
hours annually, teaching emergency communications centers,
firefighters, hazmat crews, law enforcement and emergency medical
services to respond to emergencies. Through their combined forces,
this solution is available to every public safety agency at no
cost.
"Prior to this partnership, telecommunicators had to manually
search online databases and verbally relay critical information to
field responders during rail incidents," said Brian Fontes,
CEO of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). "9-1-1
needs innovative solutions like this that share life-saving
information digitally, quickly, and intuitively."
To learn more about this new feature, visit
rapidsos.com/rail-solutions.
About RapidSOS
In partnership with public
safety, RapidSOS has created the world's first intelligent
safety platform that securely links life-saving data from over 540
million connected devices, apps and sensors directly to safety
agents, 911, and field responders. To learn more about our
technology that's creating life-saving connections, visit
www.rapidsos.com.
About Norfolk Southern
Since 1827, Norfolk Southern
Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely
moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today,
it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight
transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability,
Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid approximately 15 million
tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated
team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from
agriculture to consumer goods, and Norfolk Southern originates more
automotive traffic than any other Class 1 Railroad. Norfolk
Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the
eastern US, serving a majority of the country's population and
manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port
on the Atlantic coast as well as connections to major ports in the
Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes.
Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.
Media Contact:
Maria Larrazabal
maria_larrazabal@tedmillergroup.com
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SOURCE RapidSOS