FTA 01-03
Friday, January 3, 2003
Contact: Kristi Clemens
Tel: (202) 366-4064
Federal
Transit Administration Launches Emergency Preparedness Forum in Hartford, CT
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Launches 14th of 17
Forums in Hartford to Strengthen Emergency Plans and Regional Coordination
HARTFORD, CT—Federal Transit Administrator Jennifer L.
Dorn will open the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) “Connecting
Communities: Emergency Preparedness and Security Forum” in Hartford on Jan.
8-9. The forums were created to
help communities become better prepared to respond to emergency situations.
Using the successful evacuation of the transit stations
below the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 as a benchmark, the goal of the
forums is to demonstrate the important role that transit plays in crisis
situations and the importance of delivering a coordinated regional response to
any emergency. Participating
transit agencies will work with regional emergency responders to determine the
effectiveness of interagency response plans for the Hartford region.
“Public transportation is an important component of our
Nation’s emergency response and evacuation plans in the event of natural
disasters or terrorist incidents,” said Administrator Dorn.
“Transit vehicles often serve not only as a means of moving people away
from affected areas, but also as an important means to transport emergency
workers to the site or as a temporary shelter for both workers and victims.
When disaster strikes, the public demands an expert team, delivering a
coordinated response across traditional boundaries.”
The forums, which will
continue in other U.S. cities through early 2003, have been created in
cooperation with FTA’s partners, the American Public Transportation
Association and the Federal Railroad Administration.
The FTA has been working with the Connecticut Transit System (CT Transit)
to host the forum.
“Connecticut is proud to
host this FTA initiative. The issues at hand are of critical importance to our
transit operators and the state in general,” said Connecticut DOT Acting
Commissioner James F. Byrnes, Jr.
FTA’s five-part Security Initiative includes evaluating
threats and vulnerabilities through a security assessment; developing a plan to
address vulnerabilities; testing the plan in realistic situations; training
employees to understand and implement the plan; and undertaking research to
enhance human capabilities.
Registration for the forums is being offered at no charge;
however, participants must pre-register online. The forums are led by instructors who take participants
through hands-on exercises, including discussions, various emergency scenarios
and group break-out sessions.
To date, forums have been
held in Orlando, FL; Philadelphia; Seattle; San Francisco and San Jose, CA;
Washington, DC; Chicago; St. Louis; Detroit; Denver; Houston and Dallas; and
Charlotte, NC.
Future scheduled forums are Jan. 22-23 in Newark, NJ; Feb.
5-6 in Los Angeles; and Feb. 26-27 in San Diego.
For more information on the forums, visit www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov.
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