Metro News Release

For immediate release: February 22, 2010

Metro to host emergency response exercise with active shooter scenario

First in series of drills will test regional response to Metro-related incidents

Metro and its regional partners will participate in the first of three planned emergency response exercises on Feb. 24-25 at the Friendship Heights Metrorail station. The exercise involves a report of gunfire in the station, and will test the multi-jurisdictional coordination and response needed to mitigate a major incident in the Metro system.

The emergency response exercise will start at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Friendship Heights Metrorail station. The drill simulates gunfire between two shooters in the station. Multiple passengers are injured or killed.

The Metro Transit Police Department special response team will respond to the incident, along with the police, fire and emergency medical services personnel from the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The drill will test the integrated response and incident coordination of Metro, and police, fire and emergency medical services agencies from the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“It’s important to test and practice our response to this type of crisis that would impact Metro’s ability to provide safe and essential transportation services,” said Metro Transit Police Acting Chief Jeff Delinski.

The exercise takes place after the midnight closing of the Metrorail system so that passengers are not inconvenienced by the police and emergency response activity. Residents in the area of the Friendship Heights Metrorail station can expect to see numerous police, fire and emergency response vehicles near the Friendship Heights station and bus loop between 11:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.

The emergency response exercises are funded through a $1.2 million U.S. Department of Homeland Security Urban Area Security Initiative grant. The grant was obtained by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Fire Chiefs and is managed by the Arlington County Fire Department.

The two emergency response exercises simulating explosions on Metrobus and Metrorail that were scheduled originally for Friday, Feb. 12, and Saturday, Feb. 13, were postponed due to the unprecedented snowfall and recovery efforts focused on snow removal. New dates have not yet been scheduled.

Media contact for this news release: Cathy Asato or Lisa Farbstein at 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.

News release issued at 10:22 am, February 22, 2010.