Support

PoP-Ed. by ANC Rep Denise Krepp – WMATA: Safety Hazards and Security Risks “Shocking gaps were exposed and I left the event with little confidence in WMATA’s ability to fix them”

Ed. Note: PoP-Ed. posts are received unsolicited. If you have an issue you’d like to discuss please email [email protected]

20934746631_756b12c2c4_z

WMATA: Safety Hazards and Security Risks

Last Sunday, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority hosted a safety exercise at the Stadium Armory metro stop. For three hours, firefighters and WMATA officials tested their communication and evacuation protocols. Shocking gaps were exposed and I left the event with little confidence in WMATA’s ability to fix them.

I’m the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for residents living next to the Stadium Armory stop and I was invited to participate in the exercise because of my ANC position. My participation that day was limited to standing around and taking pictures. I had asked WMATA to include neighbors in the exercise but my request was denied.

After WMATA denied my request, I reminded them of the sarin attack in Tokyo 20 years ago and the more recent attacks in London and Madrid. In a real world attack happens at Stadium Armory, how is WMATA going to communicate with neighbors? No response.

Instead, WMATA hosted a controlled safety exercise and this exercise demonstrated how WMATA staff fail even in a controlled environment. One of the participants in the Sunday exercise was in a wheel chair. Her wheel chair was too large to fit through the doors that are located between each car. WMATA’s solution was to put her in a smaller wheel chair. Slight problem. The lady couldn’t fit in the smaller wheel chair. WMATA’s solution was to put the lady and her large wheelchair in the front car. That made it easier for the firefighters to reach her and carry her out.

20304789154_e7ae521e44_z

Good solution for Sunday but individuals in wheelchairs won’t always be in the front car as I learned two years ago when my daughter and I had to be evacuated from a metro train stuck in the tunnel between L’Enfant Plaza and Federal Center SW. We were in the last car with an individual who was seated in a large wheelchair. The conductor told us to walk towards the front of the train. The wheelchair individual couldn’t maneuver his chair between the bars in the car and his chair was too wide to fit through the side doors. He had to wait for the train to be fixed before he could exit it.

WMATA’s willingness to simplify the Sunday exercise instead of making it more attuned with real world facts shocked me and I shared my frustrations with friends on Facebook. A friend of mine has an autistic child and she wanted to know how WMATA and firefighters would evacuate him. What happens if he has a panic attack during the evacuation? I couldn’t answer her questions and based on what I saw Sunday, I’m not confident that WMATA would know what to do.

Sunday wasn’t the first time that an individual with special needs rode the metro system. Individuals who are deaf, blind, or disabled have been riding the system for years and the fact that WMATA and first responders are only now practicing how to evacuate them is shocking. WMATA officials told me on Sunday that they were practicing evacuation protocols because of what happened on January 12th at L’Enfant Plaza. Why didn’t they do this sooner? And based on what I saw on Sunday, why should I trust WMATA to take the proper steps to address the problem?

K. Denise Rucker Krepp
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, former Obama Administration political appointee, and former Senior Counsel for the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee

Recent Stories

photo by angela n. You can talk about whatever is on your mind – quality of life issues, a beautiful tree you spotted, scuttlebutt, or any random questions/thoughts you may…

From an email: “We have an upcoming free yoga weekend event happening at Reunion 4/6-4/7: Join Reunion Hot Yoga in Park View, DC for a free weekend of yoga Saturday…

Sweet City Ride

Thanks to Mandi for sending: “1930 Oldsmobile? That’s just the best guess of someone who knows nothing about cars but faithfully attended the Iola Car Show with her dad every…

Photo by Julian Ortiz Ed. Note: If this was you, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP. “Dear PoPville, Man in Ovi jersey headed towards…

Calling all bookworms, thrill-seekers, supporters of the arts, and ping-pongers at all skill levels! Sign up for Paddlestar Galactica, the ping-pong tournament supporting 826DC’s youth writing programs.

826DC is a local nonprofit that offers free writing programs, homework help, and publishing opportunities for DC students ages 6-18, in our Columbia Heights writing center and in learning spaces across the city.

Paddlestar Galactica helps keep writing education 100% free and accessible for all of our students! It’s also extremely fun.

This year’s games will be Saturday, April 27th, 1 PM to 4 PM at SPIN DC. It’ll be a chaotic afternoon of ping-pong, costumes, terrible Battlestar Galactica puns, and good cheer. We’d love to have you join us!

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Well-Paid Maids, the only certified living-wage cleaning service in the DMV, has added a new service to its online booking menu: office and building cleanings.

This includes offices, building lobbies, shared amenity spaces and more throughout D.C., Arlington, Alexandria and more.

Unlike so many other cleaning services, you can feel good booking Well-Paid Maids to clean your office or building. Cleaners get paid a starting wage of $24 an hour. Plus, all employees are offered health, dental, vision and life insurance; 24 paid days off per year; 100% employer-paid commuting costs; and more.

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Vakili Band at Pie Shop!

Three band rock n rolll lineup at DC’s Pie Shop! Vakili Band with “if you know, you know” DC rockers, Lot 18, and the many minds and songs of artist Kind of Christine.

“If you love Vakili Band like we

×

Subscribe to our mailing list