WASHINGTON DC METRO SUBWAY EMERGENCY INFORMATION

Metro Emergency Guide (hosted on this Web server)

From WMATA Web Site "Emergency Preparedness"

The publications and Web sites below offer practical how-to guides instructing Metro customers and area residents in emergency preparedness.

For news of Metro's own safety tips and emergency precautions and preparations, please see the Metrorail and Metrobus safety pages, safety and security FAQ, and recent safety and security press releases.

• Severe weather plan and Guide to using Metro in a snowstorm
  Describes what Metro service to expect during extreme weather.
• Metro's "Dear Fellow Rider: Safety Update" brochure
  Describes Metro security precautions, instructs customers on how to react in emergencies and how to assist Metro police in reporting suspicious activity or unattended packages.
• Metro's Emergency Evacuation animation
  Displays emergency evacuation procedures for Metro's trains, buses and rail stations. (Requires Flash to view.)
• Metro Emergency Guide
  A personal preparedness guide from express, a publication of The Washington Post.
• "Together We Prepare" brochure
  Transit-specific disaster education material from Metro, American Red Cross, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Transit Administration.
• Office of Personnel Management's Emergency Guidance Web page
  Offers detailed emergency preparedness guides for federal managers, employees and for families both within and outside the Washington metropolitan area.
• American Red Cross Community Disaster Education materials Web page
  Offers a wide array of disaster education materials from the Red Cross, from government agencies and from the media.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security Web site
  Includes information about the current national threat level and general emergency preparedness.
• Ready.gov Web site
  This site, from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, offers detailed information on preparing for terrorist incidents. Included are brochures, checklists, public service announcements and links for additional information.
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Homeland Security Web page
  Describes local governments' cooperation on homeland security and includes links to the Regional Emergency Coordination Plan developed for the National Capital Area.
• District of Columbia Home Guide to Emergency Preparedness Web page
  Helps Washington, D.C., residents prepare their homes and families for most local emergency situations.
• Maryland Emergency Management Agency Web site
  Lists the local Maryland emergency management offices for all counties in Maryland.
• Virginia Department of Emergency Preparedness
  Offers information for Virginia residents to increase their knowledge and preparedness for terrorism.

Metro eAlerts

Metrorail eAlerts is an e-mail subscription service for notifying customers of Metrorail service disruptions. If you wish to receive such email notices, please complete and submit the subscription form indicating:

• which Metrorail lines you wish to monitor;
• which days of the week and times of day you wish to monitor; and
• the e-mail address at which you wish to receive these alerts.

You can always unsubscribe or change your subscriptions.

Depending on your Internet service provider or pager/cellular carrier, you may be charged a per-message fee by your provider. This is not a Metro fee.

Notices can be sent to e-mail-capable desktop computers, cellular phones, pagers or personal digital assistants.

See the help page for details. Note: Metro will not sell or give your e-mail address to any outside entity. See Metro's privacy policy for details.

Please also read Metrorail eAlert's disclaimer notice. Specifically, note that 1) Metro does not guarantee the accuracy of this information and 2) that receipt of Metrorail eAlert messages may cost customers fees charged by their Internet service provider or pager/cellular phone carrier.

Please note that messages are limited to 160 characters, to prevent messages being truncated when received on cellular phones. If further information on the incident is available, it is published on this Web site, and a link to that information is included in the eAlert message.

Metro also offers free elevator status notification service. You can subscribe to the service by clicking here.

Metro Safety and security

Metro has been very vigilant as it relates to post-September 11 safety and security measures. Requests for federal funds have resulted in new security initiatives including the expansion of the chemical sensor program. Trash and recycling bins were removed from platforms and replaced with bomb containment bins at mezzanines. More K-9 police dogs have been procured. The links below will provide you with more information on recent security enhancements. Links are in chronological order.

• Metro to purchase additional security-related equipment, modify some operating procedures, promote customer and employee vigilance following train bombings in Madrid
• Metro prepared for emergencies, including loss of power
• Metro increases security as alert level increases to orange
• Metro increases security as nation returns to orange alert
• Metro officials ready to decontaminate vehicles for biological threats
• Program for response options and Technology enhancement against Chemical/Biological Terrorism (PROTECT) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
• Metrorail to install videotaping capability for station cameras
• "Dear Fellow Rider" letters distributed to customers on safety and security
• Metro opens early at request of Pentagon
• Metro returns to normal operating hours
• Metro removes trash and recycling bins
• Metro's general manager explains removal of trash bins in "Dear Fellow Rider" letter
• Metro requests $190 M from Federal government for security enhancements
• Metro removes newspaper vending machines from stations
• Metro improves procedures for dealing with suspected hazardous materials
• Metro mail room tests for anthrax found to be negative
• White House Office of Management and Budget gives Metro $10 M for security enhancements
• Metro conducts emergency drill related to chemical sensors
• All 10,000 Metro employees dedicated to safety and security
• Department of Defense restricts use of Pentagon Metrorail station elevator
• Metro requests $107.5 M for security enhancements
• Metro prepares for IMF/World Bank protests, meetings, April 2002
• Metro handles IMF/World Bank meetings and protests, April 2002
• Metro to unveil emergency training tunnel facility
• New bomb containment trash bins to be installed
• Metro issues another "Dear Fellow Rider" letter with safety as the focus
• 9/11 has changed all of us
• Metro increases security as alert level increases to orange
• Metro Transit Police partner with Departments of Homeland Security and Energy to receive additional radiological detection equipment
• Metro increases security as war begins