1 of 10 2 of 10 3 of 10 4 of 10 5 of 10 6 of 10 7 of 10 8 of 10 9 of 10 10 of 10
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Smoke filled Bowdoin Station on the MBTA’s Blue Line Sunday morning, but it wasn’t due to aging trains or an equipment malfunction—it was part of a multi-agency response drill.
Boston Fire and Boston Police practiced responding to several different safety scenarios in the station. The station was closed to the public for several hours from Bowdoin to Government Center and reopened after noon.
Boston Deputy Fire Chief Joe McMahon said there are a lot of variables to consider when rescuing people from the train station.
"You're walking on a ballast on the rail-head, you've got third-rail power issues," McMahon said. "Some of the people might evacuate up through a hatchway, which is a very narrow stairway. It's old, it's dark, difficult."
Heather, of the 20 volunteers, had to pretend to be hurt to make the drill as realistic as possible.
"I reenacted an ankle sprain, but I was able to walk so I could get off the train," Heather said. "Emergency personnel assisted with getting me off the train, down the tracks, back to the station and then assessing my injuries once I got out."
The blue line was closed from Bowdoin to Government Center for several hours. It was reopened after noon.
Once the drill was completed, there was a debriefing to discuss weaknesses and strengths.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App