Warner Urges Further Work From D.C. Area Transit Agency on Improving Emergency Communications
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said he’s “encouraged” that the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) are “developing a plan to regularly test emergency communications systems with local governments, but what I want…
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to see from [WMATA] is a real sense of urgency when it comes to fixing problems with emergency communications.” Warner urged COG and WMATA last week to improve their coordination on public safety communications connectivity within WMATA’s Metrorail system in response to problems that first responders encountered with their radios while attempting a rescue Jan. 12 at the L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station (see 1501230066). COG and WMATA told Warner in a letter Friday that they're “working systematically to address any issues” found during testing of radio connectivity in the Metrorail system. The two entities said they’re also “working together to identify any other areas where improvements can be made in emergency communication and incorporate them into a set of planned formal agreement between public safety agencies and the transit agency.” COG, WMATA and area fire departments currently operate under a 2011 emergency procedures policy agreement. WMATA “must also establish that radio systems are working effectively across the region right now. If problems are detected, we should expect that that they will be addressed in a matter of hours, and not days or weeks,” Warner said Tuesday in a news release.