Diverting buses, transporting employees and passengers away from danger and helping a motorcyclist who was burned in a gas line rupture. It’s all in a day’s work for seasoned MTA employees.
On Saturday afternoon on June 6th, a gas line ruptured by Consumers crew workers caused a fire to ignite at I- 69 construction zone on Northbound Dort Hwy just past the I-69 overpass and exit ramp. The fire was near the MTA entrance. MTA Training Instructor Vern Beasley was on his lunch hour when he saw the flames. He immediately went out to check on what was happening and found a man who was burnt on his chest and face walking around. The man had been riding his motorcycle down Dort Highway when the gas line ruptured and the fire ignited. The man’s shirt caught on fire and he was upset about his motorcycle. Vern calmed the gentleman down and assured him that his bike could be parked at the MTA facility so the gentleman could go to the Emergency room for treatment. Beasley called 911 to come and pick up the gentleman who had bad burns on his chest and face. Beasley kept reassuring the man that his motorcycle would be safe in the MTA facility and gave the gentleman his card and told him to have his family contact MTA to retrieve the bike. Meanwhile, Derrek Williams, Fixed Route Supervisor was leaving a birthday party when he was notified of the fire. He immediately headed into work. At 3 p.m., Williams, Beasley and Mark Caldwell, who is a Your Ride Service Center Manager, were informed by the Flint Police Department that the entire MTA facility on Dort Hwy had to be evacuated. The three men cleared all personnel throughout all buildings. Indian Trails was moved to the Rite Aid parking lot on Court Street, while fixed route buses were relocated to the First Merit parking lot on the Corner of Dort and Court streets. The MTA continued to run all services and operations by using mobile devices at a make shift dispatch location at the Dort Court Plaza location. Williams used the MTA’s Transfer center and Dort Court Plaza for lodging back up buses with Beasley’s assistance. Caldwell, with the help of extra assistance from Your Ride dispatchers/schedulers and drivers relocated Your Ride quickly to the Grand Blanc Your Ride Centers and used their vehicles. During this time MTA assisted the Flint Police Department by directing and keeping drivers/bystanders out of the evacuation zones. Volunteer Your Ride drivers helped assist Your Ride and Fixed Rout employees back to the facility to get their cars after MTA was given the all clear.
“This is a perfect example of the teamwork MTA employees show when an emergency situation strikes,” Charlene A. Kowalski, MTA Marketing Director, said. “During this entire time which was about eight or nine hours, MTA service continued to run. MTA employees worked as a team together to continue serving our customers. We are very proud of their work in the face of this emergency situation.”
MTA was given the all clear around 9 p.m. and were able to bring all vehicles back to the location on Dort Hwy.
Pictured (left to right): Training Instructor Vern Beasley, Middle:
Derrek Williams, Fixed Route Supervisor and Right: Mark Caldwell, Your Ride
Center Manager.