POMONA, Calif. - Across the U.S., public transit agencies are working with police and fire departments to simulate emergency situations that carry important implications for the motorcoach industry.
A recent example occurred here in Pomona, where Foothill Transit teamed up with the city police department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department to create a mock bus hijacking.
The goal of the simulation was to improve the reaction and response of multiple public safety agencies. Such practice situations can only help to prepare first responders to deal with real world events that could, of course, involve motorcoaches and intercity buses.
In the exercise run in Pomona, police formed a ring of blue-clad officers around City Hall, listening to squawking radios and glaring at a Foothill Transit bus idling in the otherwise empty parking lot.
An armed man had taken control of the bus and its 23 passengers, and was demanding to see the mayor. Fortunately, it was all part of the drill.
To fund the exercise, Foothill Transit secured a grant from the Federal Transit Administration and then went looking for agencies wanting to take part. The Pomona Police Department, for one, took Foothill up on the offer.
"We were looking for an emergency preparedness exercise that was broad in terms of training and when this one came to me I said it was perfect," said Lt. Ron McDonald of the Pomona police. "It involves a hostage situation, the safety of the public, and it involves injuries. It was broad in scope and that was why we jumped on it."
The four-hour scenario began with a busload of volunteer "customers" riding a bus through the streets of Pomona on a serene Friday morning in June. At one stop, they picked up a burly man in a stocking cap and sunglasses who was carrying a large plastic case. The man rode for several blocks, before yelling at the bus driver, pulling a fake gun and demanding to be taken to City Hall.
Bus driver Robert Marin covertly turned on emergency lights that flashed outside the bus and displayed a "Call 911 - Emergency" message on its head sign. The message was read by a passing patrolman, and several Pomona police cruisers followed the bus to City Hall, where the standoff ensued.
"Why are there so many police around? Did you sound an alarm?" the hijacker asked Marin. Marin shook his head and said, "No, sir."
Once the bus arrived at City Hall, police evacuated the building, formed a perimeter around the parking lot, brought in a SWAT team and began negotiating with the hijacker. To treat simulated injuries, emergency crews set up a triage area behind City Hall where hostages were evacuated. Several victims were fitted in makeup and latex injuries, and emerged from the bus wailing and distraught.
After the exercise, spokespeople from the agencies held a mock press conference outside Pomona City Hall. Representatives from the involved agencies then got together to discuss lessons learned.
Julie Austin, executive director of Foothill Transit, said the training was invaluable for all involved. "This was a unique opportunity to bring together all of the agencies that would actually be responding to a crisis like this," Austin said. "This exercise will go a long way toward ensuring the safety of the public in case of a real threat."