Metro and partnership agencies to participate in emergency exercise

WHAT: Emergency Preparedness Drill which simulates the release of a harmful chemical agent at a subway station.

WHO: Metro; the Departments of Transportation, Justice, and Energy; and emergency preparedness agencies.

WHEN: Tuesday, December 4, 11:30 p.m., for a Media Briefing on the drill.
Wednesday, December 5, 2001, 12:15 a.m., start of the exercise

WHERE: Smithsonian Metro Station, National Mall-side entrance (12th Street and Jefferson Drive, SW.)

Media will be directed to the "cold zone" ? the safe area where they may position themselves, away from the "hot zone" of the simulation event.

BACKGROUND: Metro and its partners have been working since 1999 on a system to detect the harmful release of chemical agents into the subway system. While Metro has periodically tested this system which has proven its operational capabilities, on December 5, the Authority and its partners will primarily test the responsiveness capabilities of all responding agencies and emergency services to such an event. Eventually this detection system will have the capability to detect the harmful release of biological agents when the technology becomes available.

On November 6, Metro and its partners participated in a computerized simulation of the release of a harmful chemical agent into the subway system. The computerized simulation, called the Emergency Preparedness Incident Command Simulation or EPICS proved effective in preparing the agencies involved for the "live" simulation on December 5.

NOTE TO MEDIA: It is extremely important, if this exercise is shown on television, that you place the words DRILL or SIMULATION on the television screen throughout the story. Thanks.