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Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority played a strong role in evacuating Washington, D.C., following the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon.



Recently, WMATA’s board formalized its role as part of a regional agreement to participate in the Regional Emergency Coordination Plan crafted by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Task Force on Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the National Capital Region.



"In the event of an emergency in the Washington Metropolitan Area, Metro will be a major player," said WMATA Chief Executive Officer Richard White in a prepared statement. "That could mean a variety of things from our bus, rail and paratransit services being impacted due to the emergency, to being called upon to aid its efforts to address the situation, whatever it might be."



White served on the 70-member Task Force, along with Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson, Deputy General Manager of Operations James Gallagher, and Director of Business Planning and Project Development Richard Stevens.



The Plan is designed to provide a structure through which the region can collaborate on planning, communication, information sharing and coordination before, during and after a regional emergency.