FTA 05-03
Monday, February 24, 2003
Contact: Kristi Clemens
Tel: (202) 366-4043
Federal Transit
Administration Launches Emergency Preparedness Forum in San Diego, CA
--Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Launches its Final Forum in San
Diego to Strengthen Emergency Plans and Regional Coordination--
SAN
DIEGO, CA—Jennifer L. Dorn, Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), will open its "Connecting
Communities: Emergency Preparedness and Security Forum" in San Diego on
Feb. 26 - 27. 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 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
San Diego 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 U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Norman Y. Mineta. “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 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 San Diego Metropolitan
Transit Development Board (MTDB) to host the forum.
“This
forum will provide our region’s public transportation operators and public
safety agencies with an opportunity to demonstrate their continued commitment to
the safety of public transportation in addition to an excellent opportunity to
review and enhance their preparedness as we move ahead in these challenging
times," said Thomas F. Larwin, General Manager, San Diego Metropolitan
Transit Development Board (MTDB).
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.
Forums were held in
Orlando, FL; Philadelphia; Seattle; San Francisco and San Jose, CA; Washington,
DC; Chicago; St. Louis; Detroit; Denver; Houston and Dallas; Charlotte, NC;
Hartford, CT; Newark, NJ and Los Angeles.
For more information on the forums, visit www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov.
# # #