FTA
21-03
Thursday, May 15, 2003
Contact: Kristi Clemens
Tel.: (202) 366-4043
Federal
Transit Administration Partners with the Transit Industry, the American Red
Cross and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to Launch Emergency
Preparedness Campaign
Boston,
MA -- Jennifer L. Dorn, Administrator of the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today joined the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, and the American
Red Cross in announcing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
participation in the national partnership designed to ensure that transit
passengers are prepared for emergencies of all types.
MBTA is the second transit agency in the country to launch the program.
“Security is a top priority of the Bush Administration and Secretary Mineta,” said Jennifer L. Dorn, Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. “Our Nation’s transit agencies are better prepared and more secure today than they have ever been, and this partnership is an important next step in the industry’s efforts to ensure that public transportation passengers are as prepared as they can be while riding the subways, buses and all other forms of transit.”
The
FTA has emphasized and implemented three priorities to ensure emergency
preparedness for transit security. They
are:
Training
-- All transit employees must be trained to deter, detect, mitigate, and
respond to a variety of emergency scenarios.
Emergency
Preparedness – Local agencies must ensure that emergency plans are in
place and routinely practiced.
Public Awareness –The riding public is an important resource in the fight against terrorism. Passengers are aware of their surroundings and can spot suspicious or unusual activity, and need to know how to communicate with transit officials. It is also critical that passengers know how to exit systems in the event of an emergency.
Transit agencies and Red Cross chapters around the country are being contacted in an effort to expand the program to communities of all sizes.
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