(The following news release was circulated by the Washington, D.C., Fire Department on August 28.)
WASHINGTON — First responders from the DC Fire & EMS Department joined a host of federal, state and local responders in a drill to test the response to a terrorist incident on Amtrak rail systems.
Operation Code Black was designed to explore the full range of an interagency, coordinated field response to a terrorist attack on the Amtrak transit system.
The objectives were to demonstrate interjurisdictional cooperation, assess communications systems and procedures, and evaluate the effectiveness of the mass casualty incident plan I the event of a terrorist attack.
Participants in the drill included Amtrak, Union Station Redevelopment Corp., Union Station Security, and Fire/EMS and law enforcement personnel from the District, Fairfax, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Arlington Counties.
“Fire & EMS Personnel performed exceptionally well,” said Special Operations Deputy Fire Chief Lawrence Schultz. “We have seen from recent events that this sort of tragedy can occur, and we have to be ready.”