More Security Theater on the MBTA

[alexxkay]

Last night, on my ride home, I saw a bunch of postings up at the T sites, saying that there will be busing along part of the Red Line this Sunday morning, due to something I think they called an "Emergency Preparedness Exercise". I gather they're going to simulate some sort of emergency, and see how well various agencies respond. [irony]Because emergencies so often happen with 4 days warning, on a predictable schedule, and at a time when the system is relatively empty. Whether it's terrorists, medical emergencies, or mechanical failures, you can always expect them to happen when the system is at its least loaded, yep.[/irony]

It seems to me that this exercise is going to cost a lot of money and attention, and there is only one outcome which would actually be helpful. If this exercise shows that the agencies in question *can't* respond to a softball exercise like this, then we will have learned something important. But if they do a good job under these contrived circumstances, that gives us absolutely no assurance about their ability to deal with an *actual* emergency, unplanned, under a rush hour load. Whose bright idea was this, anyways?

Comments

[bkdelong.livejournal.com]

I think rufina does make a valid point. I would be very scared if they never did any drills at all. I'm heavily involved as a Disaster Services Volunteer for the American Red Cross of Mass Bay (http://www.bostonredcross.org) and have participated in two drills. One was a decontamination drill when Mass General was testing out their decon tent and giving experience to several local firefighters and emergency personnel, and the second was a much larger simulated terrorist attack at the Cambridgeside Galleria.

I was very disappointed with the latter because I spent an inordinate amount of time lying moulaged on my back with a flail section (protruding broken rib), while all sorts of folks were removed. I could have easily survived. After they FINALLY got me on a stretcher, I lay outside the building for almost an hour. I really care less about my discomfort and more about the fact that I "died" when I didn't have to. Firemen weren't making any effort to hurriedly evacuate people....it seemed like they were taking their time.

There's still a lot of work to be done coordinating between police departments and emergency services at the local and regional level. Even when there's a drill - it doesn't work with flying colors.

The Red Cross, on the other hand, we're not doing too shabbily.

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

I'm heavily involved as a Disaster Services Volunteer for the American Red Cross of Mass Bay and have participated in two drills. ... The Red Cross, on the other hand, we're not doing too shabbily.

Thank you, both for doing the work and letting me know about it. Hearing about Good Works helps when I'm grumpy :)