Metro News Release
For immediate release: August 31, 2006
Metro Plans Activities for National Preparedness Month
With September designated as National Preparedness Month, Metro will host a series of activities to encourage riders to be prepared in the event an emergency situation occurs on Metrorail or Metrobus.
“With the recent events abroad, Metro would like to encourage area residents to prepare for an emergency that is likely to affect their typical transit commute, and know how to respond if the emergency occurs while commuting to and from home and work,” said Fred Goodine, Metro’s Assistant General Manager for System Safety and Risk Management.
As part of National Preparedness Month, Metro will provide its customers with the necessary tools for alternate route planning, teach its customer base that alternate route planning is essential, work to establish realistic public expectations for mass transit during emergencies that result in service delays, conduct refresher training for its front line employees as well as conduct supplemental training to Metro employees to respond and assist during emergencies.
“Now is the time to reinvigorate the preparedness of our employees as well as our customers to be prepared for emergencies,” said Mr. Goodine. “There are simple steps people can take now to minimize the impact that a service disruption might have, and the critical first step is planning ahead.
“Metro can offer individuals plenty of advice on finding alternate routes to get from place-to-place, however the best time to figure out alternative routes is before there is an emergency,” said Mr. Goodine.
Metro will provide customers with opportunities to learn more about transit safety, security and emergency planning at the following events:
Station Outreach Activities Throughout September
Metro has planned a series of eight emergency preparedness events to be held throughout the Metrorail system at various stations. The goal of these events is to have an open dialogue with Metro customers. Metro personnel from the Department of System Safety and Risk Management and the Metro Transit Police will speak to customers on safety issues, address concerns, and encourage them to partner with Metro in its ongoing mission to create a safe transit environment.
These outreach events will take place at the following stations on the following dates:
▸ September 5 - Farragut West (4 to 6 p.m.)
▸ September 7 - Union Station (7:30 to 9 a.m.)
▸ September 12 - Gallery Place-Chinatown (4 to 6 p.m.)
▸ September 14 - L’Enfant Plaza (7:30 to 9 a.m.)
▸ September 19 - Capitol South (4 to 6 p.m.)
▸ September 21 - Metro Center (7:30 to 9 a.m.)
▸ September 26 - Farragut North (4 to 6 p.m.)
▸ September 28 - Shaw-Howard University (7:30 to 9 a.m.)
At these locations, Metro customers will also be able to pick up safety material including the Together We Prepare, Metrorail Safety and Metrobus Safety brochures.
September 8 - Online Chat
Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson will host Metro’s Monthly online chat from noon to 1 p.m. on safety and security in the Metro system.
September 12 - Metro Transit Police Chief on WTOP’s “Ask the Chief”
Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson is scheduled to appear live on the WTOP radio’s “Ask the Chief” radio show from 10 to 11 a.m. to answer questions about security in the Metro system.
September 12 - Metro Transit Police Chief Appears on Newschannel 8’s “Newstalk”
Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson is scheduled to appear live on “Newstalk,” Newschannel 8’s daily live talk show from 4 to 5 p.m. Chief Hanson will talk about security in the Metro system and answer questions from callers during the show.
September 17 - Blue and Orange Line Multi-Jurisdictional Emergency Drill
On Sunday, September 17, from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., Metro will conduct a multi-agency emergency preparedness safety exercise on the Blue and Orange Line between Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn Metrorail stations. The drill will simulate an accident with a Metrorail train resulting in smoke and passenger injuries with volunteers acting the roles of “victims.” The multi-jurisdictional drill is designed to enhance safety and emergency preparedness for first responders and Metro.
September 30 - Metro Transit Police host Citizen Corps Emergency Evacuation Drill
On Saturday, September 30, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Carmen E. Turner Maintenance Facility in Landover, Md., Metro Transit Police are hosting an emergency evacuation drill for trained citizen corps members. Residents from around the region have received Metro-specific emergency preparedness training through the citizen corps program. The exercise scenario will involve a smoke filled train.
“The most important message that we can communicate to our customers is to have a plan in place in the event of an emergency,” said Mr. Goodine. “Having an emergency plan, and practicing that plan will help alleviate the stress or pressure that may develop if an emergency occurs. The best course of action in an emergency is to listen to the appropriate announcements from Metro personnel, and to implement your emergency back-up plan.”
Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson encourages customers to remain vigilant and report suspicious behavior to any uniformed Metro officials or call the Transit Police Department’s 24-hour emergency line at 202-962-2121.
News release issued on August 31, 2006.