Massachusetts first responders practice emergency scenarios on MBTA system

First responders partnered with the MBTA to practice an emergency drill on a commuter rail car in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on Sunday. 

The exercise was meant to prepare first responders for emergencies that may happen on public transportation. From the radio call to the patient care, the drill was made to feel like a real-life emergency scenario. 

"We really put a lot of attention into making it unique to the community that we're in," MassDOT Chief of Enterprise Security & Resilience Michael McCabe said. 

Sunday's exercises used the Haverhill line as a backdrop. These drills are done at least once a year for the commuter rail and the T. The drills usually have first responders from surrounding departments take part along with community members who act as victims. 

During Sunday's drill, smoke machines were used to emulate a fire inside the train car.

"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 said. "In some cases, it's a mass casualty event." 

Firefighters suited up in full gear and assessed the needs of every victim, including passengers that might pose a challenge to evacuate from a train. 

These drills get evaluated afterward to look at what worked and what didn't for first responders and the MBTA. 

"We have found gaps in incident command, communication, assumptions about rail environments that are not exactly true," McCabe said.