1. LAST STOP VALHALLA
Tragedy and Heroism on the Tracks
By Michael P. Sheehy
2017
Selected as the 2017 Lt. Andrew A. Fredericks Memorial Resident Scholars Chair project by the New
York State Academy of Fire Science.
“For what should someone be prepared?”
“Why, for any old thing.”
-Asked of Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting
If one were to write a story about a train versus car crash that happened in a place called
Valhalla, a name that recalls the hallowed hall into which the fallen heroes of Norse mythology
are received, it would be likely be considered symbolic, though trite. If the account said that this
incident happened on a train line adjacent to the Gate of Heaven cemetery, it might be derided as
ridiculous.
This story happened in a place called Valhalla, New York on the evening of February third,
2015- on the Metro-North Harlem Line, adjacent to the Gate of Heaven cemetery. Under a full
moon that reached that stage fifteen minutes before the collision.
It was a fatal collision between an eight car rush hour express train and a Mercedes SUV that
would take the life of the driver and five passengers on the train.
Before the questions, the finger pointing, the lawsuits and the extensive National Transportation
Safety Board investigation, there was a long night of tragedy, dedication and heroism on the
tracks, as local volunteer response agencies were put to the test on a frigid night, the events of
which few thought would ever occur.
Issue:
“High severity, low frequency” events, uncommon incidents that typically involve factors such
as a high demand for resources, mass casualties, unusual or highly technical rescue tasks and a
large affected area are the most difficult challenges that emergency response agencies face.
According to Gordon Graham, a risk management consultant, such high severity, low frequency
events pose the highest risk to responders because they typically have little to no specific
practical experience to draw upon when dealing with these situations. (International Association
of Fire Chiefs 2003)
Whereas a large city department such as the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)
has full time dedicated resources including five specialized heavy rescue companies on which to
call for a high severity incident, along with squad companies and Special Operations Command
(SOC) units, the availability of resources and level of specialized training in suburban
Westchester County is less consistent. While the emergency resources dispatched through the
long established county mutual aid system and from the Westchester County Department of
Emergency Services (WCDES) were effective and rose to the occasion as best as they could, this

2. operation was not without its challenges, including inter-agency coordination and
communications, access to the scene, adverse weather and darkness, and varying levels of
training and experience, especially concerning railroad incidents, among those responding.
A future high severity incident is likely to test the responders of Westchester in ways that they
may not readily anticipate, therefore, responders and agencies must continue to train, develop
current emergency response and management plans, and adapt to changes in their response area
that may pose particular hazards.
Railroads are an incident scene of particular concern, as discussed in a US Fire Administration
(USFA) special report on railroad emergences that details challenges including access to the site,
patient and passenger accountability including mass casualties, heavy extrication, and dangers of
power from the third rail or on-board electrical sources. The report reinforces the need for
response agencies to have a “strong, well-practiced incident management system capable of
adapting to a large scale unified command effort” since railroad incidents typically involve
multiple agencies and disciplines including fire, police, EMS and railroad employees.
Furthermore, such incident management planning is applicable to any major incident and is vital
to the operations of any department. (Kimball and Stambaugh 2003)
Research:
Last Stop Valhalla explores how local volunteer departments face challenges in preparing for
and responding to “high severity, low frequency” incidents in their districts, with a focus on the
Valhalla rail crash. The work discusses methods of preparedness including in-house, County and
State training, developing plans that conform to common standards such as National Incident
Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) and using mutual aid when
needed from neighboring departments, WCDES and external agencies.
Using reports and information from the National Transportation Safety Board, local agencies,
professional publications and news resources, Last Stop Valhalla analyzes and discusses the
incident response and operations that night, how the agencies prepared beforehand, and how they
may better prepare for future “high severity, low frequency” incidents.
Implications and Conclusions:
Last Stop Valhalla shows that even in an environment where comprehensive plans are in place
and most individuals act responsibly and within regulations, one still must plan for the
unexpected. The grade crossing signals worked at Commerce Street. The train was in good
mechanical condition. The engineer, according to the event recorder, operated the train safely
throughout the trip and was within regulation speed when he sighted the Mercedes SUV fouling
the tracks. However, all of those plans and correct actions did not overcome the antagonist on the
tracks that created the initial incident.
Emergency response agencies should be ever vigilant and cognizant of “high severity” hazards in
their district, even if an incident has a “low frequency” of occurring. Fire officers need to
coordinate not only with neighboring departments and County resources, but also with
commercial and industrial concerns in their response area to develop safety and response plans.

3. Broadly applicable preplans should be developed to common standards such as ICS and NIMS,
and personnel should be familiar with and properly trained in the execution of such plans.
Volunteer responder agencies face another significant challenge since their personnel are part
time with various demands on their time and energy, and have a wide range of training, skills
and experience. It is the responsibility of the Chief and the Training Officer to develop a culture
of learning and conduct applicable drills to ensure that their agency is ready to respond to severe
incidents in their district, no matter the frequency.
Last Stop Valhalla, along with its compelling true story of tragedy, dedication and heroism,
prompts the reader to ask if and how their agency is prepared for the next “high severity, low
frequency” event that may occur in their response area.
___
Works Cited
International Associationof Fire Chiefs.2003. Crew Resource Management,ThirdEdition.Fairfax,VA:
International Associationof Fire Chiefs.
Kimball,John,andHollisStambaugh.2003. Special Report:Rail Emergencies.Emmitsburg,MD:United
StatesFire Administration.