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FTA 47-03
Contact: Tina Burke
Tel.: (202) 997-4386
Tuesday, October 7, 2003
Federal Transit Administration Hosts Emergency Preparedness Forum in Boston, MA
--Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Launches its 18th Forum in Boston to Strengthen Emergency Plans and Regional Coordination--
BOSTON, MA— On Wednesday, October 8, Boston area emergency responders will work to strengthen emergency plans and regional coordination during the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) “Connecting Communities: Emergency Preparedness and Security Forum.” FTA Regional Administrator, Dick Doyle, will open the forum, which was created to help communities become better prepared to respond to emergency situations and is part of the FTA’s post-9/11 efforts focusing on emergency preparedness, employee training and public awareness.
Using the successful evacuation of the transit stations below the World Trade Center following the terrorist attack 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 Boston 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 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to host the forum.
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, Los Angeles, CA and San Diego, CA.
For more information on the forums, visit www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov.
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