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.
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.
