News Room October 28, 2002 Joint Public Oversight Hearing on District of Columbia Preparedness (Cont.) The third area is training. During FY 2002, we provided nearly 2,900 officers and sergeants with an eight-hour course on law enforcement’s response to weapons of mass destruction. Officials and Command members received not only this course, but also a session on the Law Enforcement Incident Command System, to better prepare our leaders for managing unusual incidents. Members of our Emergency Response Team, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, and other specialized personnel have received even more sophisticated Haz-Mat training. Our commitment to emergency preparedness training is ongoing, and training is continuing into FY 03. The fourth area I want to mention is technology. As I mentioned earlier, we have upgraded our Joint Operations Command Center with new software to expedite the capture, analysis and sharing of information during critical incidents. New GIS software is giving us more geographic-based information in the JOCC, which is important not only during major events, but also to support everyday crime-fighting. We have also upgraded our video teleconferencing system to allow for more real-time communication with district stations, and we have made some enhancements to our closed circuit yelevision system, including the addition of the District Department of Transportation’s traffic cameras. The fifth and final area is traffic management. We worked closely with DDOT in identifying the District’s “Event Route Corridors,” and we have developed detailed traffic plans for handling traffic along these routes and at other critical locations, in the event of a future emergency. This statement represents only a brief summary of the steps the Metropolitan Police Department has taken – and the progress we have made – in certain key areas of law enforcement preparedness. The threat we continue to face from terrorism is very real, but still largely unknown – which makes our job all the more challenging. While it is impossible to plan or prepare for each and every situation that could arise, the Metropolitan Police Department has made – and will continue to make – the critical investments that are putting us in a much better position to respond to future emergencies facing our citizens. Thank you. Page 3 of 3           1   2   3