FTA 23-02
Thursday, August 8, 2002
Contact: Tami von Isakovics
Tel.: (202)
366-4064
Administrator Jennifer L. Dorn Opens Emergency Preparedness and Security
Forums in Northern California with Area Transit Agencies
SAN JOSE, Calif.— As part of the Department of
Transportation’s continuing effort to improve homeland security, FTA
Administrator Jennifer L. Dorn will address participants and meet with local
transit officials at the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) “Connecting
Communities: Emergency Preparedness and Security Forums” in San Jose on August
12-13 and San Francisco on August 14-15. In
light of the new security environment our nation now faces, the FTA created the
forums to allow transit agencies to assess their vulnerabilities and fortify
partnerships in their communities so they can respond effectively to emergency
situations through coordination, communication, planning and practice of safety
and security measures.
The FTA has been working with the Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority (VTA) in San Jose and with San Francisco Municipal
Railway (MUNI), Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit), San
Francisco Bay Area Transit District (BART) and Golden Gate Bridge Highway and
Transportation District in San Francisco to host the forums.
“Our goal with the forums is for transportation and
emergency response organizations in every community to build and strengthen
relationships with each other to prepare for a disaster by sharing best
practices and reviewing the essentials of emergency management,” said
Administrator Dorn. “When
disaster strikes, the public demands an expert team, delivering a coordinated
response across traditional boundaries. This
is the premise behind our effort to connect communities.”
“We are proud to be working with the FTA on this
groundbreaking initiative,” said VTA General Manager Peter Cipolla.
“This is an excellent opportunity for all of us to hone our skills
between transit and emergency response agencies outside Santa Clara County,
including Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Alameda, San Benito, Monterey and San Joaquin
Counties.”
“In a catastrophic emergency, transportation providers
will almost certainly play a critical role in our region's emergency
response,” said MUNI General Manager Michael Burns.
“We welcome this opportunity to strengthen the crucial relationships
between emergency responders and transit agencies and keep our community
safe.”
The forums, which will continue in other U.S. cities
through January 2003, have been created in cooperation with FTA’s partners,
the American Public Transportation Association and the Federal Railroad
Administration.
The forums are designed specifically for transit agency
management and security personnel; police and fire personnel responsible for
emergency management coordination; emergency medical services and hospital
disaster relief coordinators; and state and local government emergency
management coordinators.
“Keeping communities safe is everyone's
responsibility,” said Robert Jamison, Deputy Administrator of the FTA. “The forums offer an opportunity for participants to review
the necessary components of effective emergency management and how each entity
interacts with their community partners in the event of an emergency.”
Although the forums are being held in metropolitan areas,
the FTA is also targeting small to mid-size transit and emergency response
organizations in surrounding communities so they can interface with each other
in their own region.
While there, participants will learn the elements of an
effective emergency management program, hear how to activate alternative
transportation methods during a crisis and explore the interagency role in
handling emergency response.
Registration for the forums is being offered at no charge.
They will be led by instructors who take participants through hands-on
exercises, including discussions, various emergency scenarios and group
break-out sessions. Other forums
were held in Orlando, Florida, on May 15-16; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June
19-20; and Seattle, Washington, on July 24-25.
Future scheduled forums are August 20-21 in Washington, DC;
August 27-28 in Chicago; September 17-18 in St. Louis; October 16-17 in Detroit;
October 30-31 in Denver; November 4-5 in Houston, TX; November 6-7 in Dallas,
TX; and December 5-6 in Charlotte. Other
forums cities with dates to be determined are: Hartford, CT; Los Angeles, CA;
New York, NY; and San Diego, CA.
For more information on the forums, visit www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov.
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Editor’s Note: Artwork for the forums and a Jpeg photo of Dorn are available. Please contact Jennifer Whalley at 617-494-2686 or whalley@volpe.dot.gov for more information.