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A Special Message from PATCO: Safety and Security Remain Top Focus

With recent headlines about PATCO, please allow me to clarify some points about our attention to safety and security. • First, safety and security have been and always will be the top concern of PATCO. • New emergency evacuation procedures are now available on PATCO’s website, www.ridepatco.org. • After a bomb scare false alarm on February 7, emergency personnel responded quickly and efficiently. We apologize for the unexpected harm and inconvenience this might have caused commuters, but with our commitment to security, PATCO does not take any potentially dangerous situation lightly. I commend our officers for their work. We were disappointed with the recent Philadelphia Inquirer column that incorrectly depicted our commitment to safety and security. To keep you apprised to our response which points to the column’s inaccuracies and depicts our efforts, please see the letter below that was sent to the editorial staff at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Thank you for your attention to this information. Yours truly, John J. Matheussen President, PATCO The Inquirer’s recent column (PATCO Falls Short on Reassurance) did not adequately convey PATCO’s commitment and on-going effort to keep our passengers safe. Since our inception and especially today in a climate in which it is particularly important, safety and security are at the very top of our list of priorities. We appreciate constructive criticism from our most important constituency, our customers, and we deeply regret any harm, anxiety or inconvenience caused by the train fire incident in August. We’ve since conducted a comprehensive review to make PATCO safer and even more responsive to our customers. Long before August 15th, PATCO had established and continually updated procedures to address potential incidents. PATCO personnel are well-trained and prepared for emergencies. Each year, PATCO has worked with potential responding agencies along our line conducting familiarization tours and providing them with specific information regarding the system. PATCO recognizes the seriousness of the incident last August and has been continually working to improve on prevention and response. At PATCO, safety trumps all. Like all other transit agencies, PATCO relies on the leadership and expertise of outside responders. Following the incident of August 15th, DRPA and PACTO staff met in an After Action Review with many of the agencies that responded to the incident. Responding agencies included members of our Public Safety Department; Camden City Fire and Police Departments; Camden County Fire Marshall; Philadelphia Police Department; Camden County Office of Emergency Management; Camden County Field Communications; New Jersey Transit Police; Gloucester City HAZMAT Unit; EMS Units from UMDNJ, Mt. Ephraim, Westmont, Haddon Heights, West Collingswood, Pennsauken and Audubon; and the Fire Departments of Cherry Hill, Collingswood, Audubon and Pennsauken. We held these meetings to assess the incident and exchange information on how we could improve. We are grateful for the cooperation and assistance of these public servants and for their ever vigilant efforts to serve and protect. From those meetings, we took action. Since August 15, established safety and security measures have been enhanced. We have conducted no less than 5 additional emergency responder familiarization tours. Train operators and DRPA/PATCO Police officers have received remedial and additional safety response training. PATCO has initiated a Request For Qualifications to retain a safety and security team of specialists to review our safety procedures and training. Supplementing in-house instruction, PATCO staff routinely attends national conferences on safety and security including the National Federal Transit Administration (FTA) State Safety Oversight & Security Conferences and the FTA-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Transit Security and Safety Roundtables. All of PATCO’s safety and security efforts are coordinated through New Jersey State Safety Oversight Committee and the national Transportation Security Administration. A Radio Interoperability Operations System (RIOS) has been procured providing improved communications between PATCO and outside emergency responder agencies. Two-way radios were distributed to Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments to enhance communications with PATCO and SEPTA personnel underground. In response to comments from emergency responders and the public, a portable public address system and additional portable lighting have been purchased. PATCO has also posted alternative transportation instructions at all stations as well as on our website, www.ridepatco.org, to address customer needs. In addition, emergency evacuation material has been developed for posting on all rail cars. This information, including how to evacuate a train, is also available on our website. It is our sincere hope that all of this information goes to reassuring the public of PATCO’s ongoing and unwavering commitment to safety. Thank you.

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