Metro News Release

For immediate release: February 24, 2010

Emergency response active shooter exercise begins at Friendship Heights

Late-night drill will test regional response

Metro’s emergency response active shooter exercise at the Friendship Heights Metrorail station began at 12:45 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25.

The drill simulates gunfire between two shooters in the station. Multiple “passengers” are injured or killed in the drill. The exercise is designed to test the multi-jurisdictional coordination and response needed to mitigate a major incident in the Metro system.

Metro Transit Police Department patrol officers and special response team members are responding 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 among the responding agencies.

The exercise is taking place in the overnight hours when the Metrorail system is closed 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 until 3:30 a.m. There is no emergency. It is just a drill.

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 1:02 am, February 25, 2010.