Fire chief to headline Zoom session on emergency management, rail disasters

Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones will headline a Zoom session at 6 p.m. Thursday on whether an East Palestine-style rail disaster could happen in Pittsburgh, as well as how city officials are preparing for it.

The first part of the town hall — organized by Southwest PA Grassroots Resident-Led Air Quality Town Halls — features Jones, the city’s deputy emergency management coordinator, who will present a talk titled “Not IF, but WHEN—Prepping Pittsburgh for an East Palestine Event.”

Jones “will speak candidly about the risks and explain how his teams will respond and coordinate with other agencies & resources,” event organizer Glenn Olcerst said in a release.

Time will be allowed for audience questions after Jones’ presentation, he said.

The second section, “Rail Disasters—Improving Our Odds; Reducing the Impact,” will be presented by RP3 members Olcerst, Barbara Talerico, and Larry Simms.

“More oil and dangerous chemicals travel through our city, county, and region than almost any rail corridor in North America,” Olcerst said. “RP3, a 1,000-member grassroots organization, has countered industrial rail expansion and worked to hold railroads accountable for more than a decade.”

For more information or to register for the event, click here.