WASHINGTON – D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has ordered a review of the fire department’s response to the smoke-filled train and L’Enfant Plaza Station.
In addition to the federal review, Bowser says she wants to know when the calls for help came, what location was given, when firefighters arrived and when did they have safe access to the tracks. She hopes to have a full report by early next week.
Bowser says she also wants more information about whether firefighters were able to use their radios underground after reports of communication problems.
Metro has said that a box alarm triggered at 3:20 p.m. after smoke filled the station and tunnel. But Bowser wants to know just how many people called for help and when they called.
Hundreds of passengers poured out of the station as it was evacuated but passengers on a stalled Yellow Line train waited for 20 to 45 minutes before firefighters arrived to help lead them off the train, down the tunnel and up a set of stairs to safety above ground.
“There’s nothing more frightening than being caught underground with smoke and no information,” says Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District’s representative to Congress.
The delayed rescue only worsened their fear. And that delay was caused because responders didn’t know whether Metro had cut power to the energized third rail so they could safely walk the tracks to the train, Holmes Norton says.
“This could have been much worse than it was if they had not been so close to the station,” she says.
Bowser, who was appointed to the WMATA board following the fatal 2009 derailment, says that the safety culture at Metro has improved dramatically since then and that the system has taken steps to improve the equipment by investing more than $2 billion into switches, rails and ties. The system has also met 24 out 29 recommendations issued by the NTSB following that fatal investigation and will soon begin replacing the oldest cars with new models.
Bowser pledged to work with Metro and regional partners in Maryland and Virginia – she’s already spoken to the governors of both states – and pledged to find out what happened and fix it.
“It’s shocking and so disappointing that we’ve had this failure whatever the result (of the investigation) turns out to be,” Bowser said.
Other elected officials from Maryland, Virginia and the District are also calling for answers including Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Steny Hoyer and Councilwoman Mary Cheh.
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