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Agenda Item # 8

BOARD MEMORANDUM

FOR INFORMATION ONLY

BACKGROUND:

At the January 2006 CTA meeting, guest speakers from the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services (OES) and Collaborating Agencies Disaster Relief Effort (CADRE) presented information about emergency preparedness and response in Santa Clara County.   Specifics were provided to CTA about the effort by County OES staff to coordinate resources for vulnerable populations. 

Committee members expressed particular interest in VTA’s preparedness for providing, emergency assistance to persons with disabilities and in VTA’s overall Emergency Plan.   CTA requested that VTA work directly with Outreach to include the needs of the disabled community in the emergency plans for VTA and County Office of Emergency Services. 

DISCUSSION:

VTA staff met with Outreach management staff in early February 2006.   Discussions are on going in a collaborative effort to directly involve Outreach in emergency planning within the VTA and OES systems.   On February 13 staff from Outreach and VTA participated in familiarization tours of both organizations’ Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs).

In March Outreach representatives will observe an MTC- organized regional emergency exercise at the VTA EOC.   Shortly after the exercise, VTA and Outreach will re-evaluate emergency response planning and response to determine the next step needed to allow for improved planned response to emergencies.

In addition, VTA has formal Emergency Operations and Safety and Security Plans. The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) includes strategies for customer and employee life safety, emergency communications, public information for customers, and assessments of damage to VTA property and service ability and plans for business recovery and return to normal operations.

The plan provides for the VTA EOC, which is well equipped. The assigned staff is also prepared and equipped to operate at various locations, in the event the main site is not safe for occupancy.

An important part of the EOP is the existing Standard Operating Procedures, which address safe approaches to resolving most unusual occurrences that may arise during transit operations. As part of the plan, VTA also has a position in the County’s EOC, through which we may receive requests for aid, such as evacuations. In the event of a request VTA can deploy accessible equipment The EOP also provides for annual internal tabletop exercises and regional exercises with MTC and other transit agencies in the Bay area. Exercises have included various scenarios, including incidents of earthquake and terrorism.

The Safety and Security Plan includes training and field exercises with local law enforcement and fire departments, to ensure that these agencies can safely respond and assist in incidents involving VTA passengers, employees and equipment.

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