EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern will provide a $20 million grant toward construction and operation of a first responder training center in East Palestine, the railroad said on Friday (Nov. 21).
Plans for the training center were first announced in the wake of the February 2023 derailment in East Palestine, and a groundbreaking was held in September of that year [see “Norfolk Southern breaks ground …,” Trains.com, Sept. 22, 2023]. But questions over staffing and operation were a challenge to the facility’s long-term feasibility, the railroad says.
That has been addressed in a new agreement between the railroad, Ohio, East Palestine, and Youngstown State University. The agreement calls for NS to provide funding to Youngstown State, which will design and build the facility and create a long-term endowment plan to support its continued operation and growth. The university will also provide experts from its faculty to staff and develop the center’s advanced curriculum.
NS credits Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, the university, and the Ohio Department of Public Safety for developing strategies to address concerns over the training center, and says a number of other elected officials played a part in the agreement.
“Today’s agreement is the result of extensive collaboration and a shared commitment to East Palestine,” NS CEO Mark George said in a press release. “We’re deeply grateful for the leadership of Vice President JD Vance, Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, Rep. Mike Rulli, Gov. Mike DeWine, Youngstown State President Bill Johnson, ODPS Director Andy Wilson and numerous other federal, state and local partners throughout this process. By working together, we’ve turned this vision of an economic and educational center dedicated to enhancing community safety into a sustainable reality.”
The facility will be built on land identified by the village of East Palestine and the university as ideal for advanced fire science and first responder training. Land previously purchased by Norfolk Southern for a training center was transferred to the East Palestine Community Improvement Corp. under the initial settlement agreement and has been reserved for future economic development activities to be identified by Village leaders.
“Youngstown State University’s rebranded and expanded workforce education focus is empowering us to equip the Mahoning Valley and the region with the essential skills needed to face the economic challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Johnson, the university’s president. “We are deeply honored to participate in this $20 million public-private partnership … to develop a state-of-the-art Fire Science and Public Safety Training Facility that will serve first responders across Ohio and beyond.”
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