Office of Safety and Security Audit Program
To date, audits have been completed at: San Diego, CA; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Denver, CO; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; Oakland, CA; Cleveland, OH; Baltimore, MD; and Jacksonville, FL. Originally begun in 1996 as an effort to assist rail systems in complying with FTA’s State Safety Oversight Regulation, the program was recently expanded to include bus-only transit systems. Forty-three bus systems, representing a cross section with regard to size and locale, have been identified as candidates for audits.
For additional information, contact Carole Ferguson, Office of Safety and Security, at 202, 366-2896, or the FTA security contractor, David Blakeman, at 213, 362-6930.
MARTA Emergency Planning and Physical Security
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Police Department has created a new position to deal with the issues of emergency planning and physical security. John Dankel, a 29-year law enforcement veteran, has been selected to fill the position.
Prior to the 1996 Olympics, the MARTA Police Department participated in many joint planning efforts and exercises with other law enforcement and emergency management agencies. Contingency plans were developed for a variety of possible problems, specialized equipment was purchased, and increased training was provided. After the Olympics ended, however, most of the plans remained in place, but many of the resources were not as readily available.
In 1998, Chief Gene Wilson made a decision to revisit all of the emergency planning developed prior to the Olympics. The new position was created as a result of this review. As Emergency Preparedness/Physical Security Manager, Mr. Dankel is responsible for reviewing all emergency procedures used by MARTA’s Police Department. Appropriate training will be developed and provided to Police Department staff.
Mr. Dankel has been trained in physical security as well as emergency planning. One of his goals for is completion of a completely revised emergency operations manual for the Police Department. The new procedures will be closely coordinated with ongoing efforts of MARTA’s Office of Safety as they develop emergency plans for the entire system. Security surveys have been completed for MARTA Headquarters and the Rail Control Center. Recommendations from those surveys are now being implemented.
In the coming months, the MARTA Police Department will be soliciting assistance for these efforts from various agencies, and any assistance and cooperation will be appreciated by them. For further information call John Dankel at 404, 848-4916.
MBTA OPERATION C.A.R.E. In response to a growing number of trespassing incidents on the MBTA network of eleven commuter rail lines, Chief of Police Thomas J. O’Loughlin initiated an innovative program known as OPERATION C.A.R.E. (Cooperative Air-to-Rail Enforcement). The purpose of this program is to apprehend trespassers and remove them from the property before an accident or fatality occurs.
The program is a partnership among local and MBTA police and the State Police Airwing. The MBTA Police have a team of three officers who are licensed pilots each of whom act as members of the aircrew, plotting the course for the helicopter and directing officers on the ground to potential trouble spots. Special teams of officers make arrests of anyone located along the tracks.
Since its inception on July 22, 1998, the program has resulted in a total of 137 arrests. It is intended to augment the national Operation Lifesaver program. MBTA Chief O’Loughlin’s innovative idea of utilizing subway cops in the air to prevent rail tragedies has been well received by the public.
For further information, contact Deputy Chief William Fleming at 617, 222-1121.
Collaboration of Railway Police and Security Services. In 1980, European railways made the decision to increase the security of railway traffic by strengthening international cooperation. This resulted in creation of the Collaboration of Railway Police and Security Services (COLPOFER) and the development of joint principles, procedures, and methods for exchange of information and dealing with security issues.
Members of COLPOFER are security managers of railway companies and representatives of police departments. It operates independently within the limitations of the competence of its members. The secretariat provides an almanac which facilitates making international contacts and provides access to information files. The secretariat also processes the crime data provided by members to produce an annual international statistical report. This approach not only facilitates international cooperation, but is also compatible with furthering European unification.
The organization has developed an Internet website at www.colpofer.org. For additional information, contact Koos Witteman, General Secretary of COLPOFER, NS Spoorwegpolitie, Postbus 2821, 3500 GV Utrecht, The Netherlands (+31 30 2354871; Fax: 2358057)
Mitigation of Chemical Attacks in Enclosed Public Transportation Facilities by William A. Swansiger and John E. Brockmann, (Reprinted from Enforcement and Security Technologies. Copies available from the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Box 10, Bellingham, WA 98227 [360, 676-3290]) This paper deals with the vulnerability of transportation facilities in the U. S. to attack by terrorists using chemical agents and focuses on the problem of protecting people in underground subway stations, the most difficult facilities to potect.
Blast/FXTM User’s Manual (Explosives Effects Analysis Software), August 1998. This program, developed for use by the Federal Aviation Administration, is a graphical, PC-based software tool for use in determining the effects of explosives on facilities and people in those facilities. For further information, contact Martha E. Snyderwine, Program Manager, Aviation Security Research and Development, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, NJ 08405 (609, 485-0752; Fax: 383-1973)
5/2-6 American Public Transit Association Bus Conference (includes meeting of the Committee on Public Safety), Cleveland, OH (202, 898-4000; Fax: 898-4029)
5/22-27 American Public Transit Association Commuter Rail and Rapid Transit Conference, Toronto, Ontario (202, 898-4000; Fax: 898-4029)
5/23-28 International Union of Urban Transport 53rd Congress and City Transport '99, Toronto, Ontario (32 2/673-6105)
6/28-30 The Urban Street Symposium, Dallas, TX, Transportation Research Board (202, 334-2934)
10/10-14 American Public Transit Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, Orlando, FL (202, 898-4038; Fax: 898-4029)
3/8-11 Fundamentals of Bus Accident Investigation, Olympia, WA, Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
4/12-16 Fundamentals of Bus Accident Investigation, New York, NY, Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
4/20-21 Bus Accident Casualty Extrication Seminar (site to be announced), Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
4/26-29 Transit System Security, Seattle, WA, Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
5/12 Threat Management and Emergency Response to Bus Hijackings Seminar, Boston, MA, Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
5/13 Threat Management and Emergency Response to Bus Hijackings Seminar, Boston, MA, Federal Transit Admini-stration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
5/17-20 Fundamentals of Bus Accident Investigation, Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
6/7-10 Fundamentals of Bus Accident Investigation (Site to be announced), Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
6/7-11 Intermediate Problems in Bus Accident Investigation, Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration/ Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
6/28-7/1 Effectively Managing Transit Emergencies, Washington, DC, Federal Transit Administration/ Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
7/12-23 Advanced Accident Investigation for Transit Police and Law Enforcement, Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
7/19-23 Effectively Managing Transit Emergencies, Portland, OR, Federal Transit Administration/ Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
7/19-23 Fundamentals of Bus Collision Investigation, Honolulu, HI, Federal Transit Administration/Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
8/16-20 Intermediate Problems in Bus Accident Investigation, Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration/ Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
9/20-24 Accident Investigation: Bus Collision Analysis (Pilot), Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration/ Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
Let Us Hear From You. If you have any activities that would be of interest regarding transit security, a staff member whom you want to commend for some outstanding or heroic action, or just about anything dealing with transit security, please let us hear from you. Simply fax your material to the number given below--we will find a place for it in the newsletter.
Corrections. If you note any inaccuracies on the address label, please fax corrections to the number below along with your phone and FAX numbers.
Note: Information for inclusion in the next issue of this newsletter should be sent to Edith Rodano, Office of Safety and Security, Federal Transit Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D. C. 20590 (202, 366-0191; FAX: 366-7951) or by E-Mail to rodanoe@fta.dot.gov by May 15, 1999.