Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Teams from Revere Police and Fire, along with EMS, gathered in the Orient Heights yard to train for real-life scenarios involving the MBTA on Sunday.
Crews responded to different simulations involving injuries and hazards on the rail. MBTA and MassDot security director Michael McCabe said these drills allow first responders to test gear and train in unusual environments.
"It's intended to give real-world conditions for the fire department and the public safety and police to test their procedures and their equipment and gain access to a rail system, which is a very unique environment to have to come and evacuate people," McCabe stated.
Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
Crews also worked with new equipment acquired from the MBTA through a grant program. Firefighters used special equipment to evacuate a volunteer in a wheelchair and a foldable cart that allows them to move passengers along the track. The train also contained volunteers with various fake injuries that required them to be stretched off. McCabe said the simulations prepare crews for situations that they aren't accustomed to.
"Most of them are used to responding to things in neighborhoods and cities and dwellings, but it's very hard for them to take into consideration things like the live power on the subway, other hazards that come with being in a rail environment."
Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
WBZ NewsRadio's Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.