MBTA and First Responders Conduct Emergency Drill in Haverhill

Smoke machines filled a commuter rail car with artificial haze in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on Sunday as firefighters suited up in full gear to navigate a simulated mass casualty disaster.

Local first responders partnered with the MBTA to practice the emergency drill, which used the Haverhill line as a backdrop to prepare personnel for potential public transportation crises.

Designed to replicate a real-life emergency scenario from the initial radio call through patient care, the simulation incorporated community members acting as victims alongside first responders from surrounding departments. Michael McCabe, MassDOT Chief of Enterprise Security & Resilience, explained the scale and planning behind the operation.

We really put a lot of attention into making it unique to the community that we’re in, McCabe said regarding the exercise. During the drill, firefighters assessed the needs of every simulated victim, which included moving passengers who might pose evacuation challenges inside a train car.

MBTA, first responders hold emergency training exercise

You can think about when a train comes to an abrupt stop. There is a wide variety of injuries that come with an action like that, McCabe noted. In some cases, it’s a mass casualty event.

Such safety exercises are conducted at least once a year for the commuter rail and the T. Following the conclusion of the simulation, officials evaluate the response to determine what procedures worked effectively and identify areas needing improvement for both the transit agency and participating departments.

We have found gaps in incident command, communication, assumptions about rail environments that are not exactly true, McCabe stated regarding the post-drill evaluations.