Trains come through downtown Spokane every day hauling cargo like grain, airplane fuselages, and crude oil. Depending on the cargo, a derailment could range from minor to catastrophic, but it's something local first responders prepare for.
Freight transportation by railroad is statistically an extremely safe way to transport the goods that fuel our economy and feed our nation, and in some cases, the world.
Both BNSF and Union Pacific say on their websites that 99.999 percent of hazardous materials, like crude oil, move across their tracks without incident or loss.
But it's the .001 percent that Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer says his crews are constantly preparing for.