EMERGENCY
RESPONSE EXERCISE
MEDIA VIDEO/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
MEDIA VIDEO/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
MBTA
Ayer Commuter Rail Evacuation Drill – Sunday, October 15th
Pan
Am Railways Willow Street Yard, Ayer, MA
On Sunday, October 15th at approximately 10
AM, the MBTA will be conducting an emergency evacuation drill on a
commuter rail train in the Ayer area with the assistance of numerous local,
state, and private partners. While the exercise is scheduled from
approximately 10am to 12pm, surrounding neighbors can expect heightened
activity in the area starting as early as 8am. No MBTA service impacts or
local street traffic impacts are expected.
The exercise is designed to establish a
learning environment for public safety officials to exercise emergency response
plans, policies, and procedures as they pertain to a mass casualty event on a
commuter rail train. To ensure an effective exercise, subject matter experts
and representatives from numerous agencies took part in the planning process
and will take part in the exercise conduct and evaluation.
As part of the exercise scenario, a collision
between a Pan Am freight train locomotive and an MBTA commuter rail train will
be simulated. Numerous volunteers from the public are expected to participate
in the role of passengers and injured victims. Artificial smoke may be
generated to add realism.
Agencies playing in this exercise include the MBTA, MBTA Transit Police, Keolis, Pan Am Railways, Ayer
Fire Department, Ayer Police Department, and several surrounding towns
providing mutual aid.
Video/Photo
Opportunity
Media
and other observers are invited to attend; all are asked to register in
advance with Joe Pesaturo, MBTA Director of Communications. On exercise day,
all must check-in with Bob Northrup, MassDOT Deputy Director of Security &
Emergency Management, by 9:30 AM at the tent in the Pan Am Railways Yard off
Willow Road (Berkshire Blvd) in Ayer.
