Mass Transit Accidents
The City of Fort Lauderdale has, over time, developed
a unique, intricate and complex urban area mass
transit system. Residents and visitors to our city
can experience travel through our metropolis via
air, boat, train, truck, automobile, motorcycle and
bicycle. The City is more than 32 square miles in
size, with more than 400 miles of city street surface,
50 City
bridges
(eight of which are lift and one swing), 85 miles
of canals and waterways and a rail system that expands
the
entire length of the city from north to south. The
rail system also includes a rail storage yard for
rail cars trans loading materials and equipment.
These same transportation corridors provide daily
easement in and about our City for more than 150,000
residents and an additional 50,000 per day peak season
visitors.
During emergency operations these travel ways must
also be available to mobilize, deploy and transport
people, materials, goods and services to and from
a potentially disaster impacted area of the city.
It is therefore imperative (when necessary) that
the City implement plans that will address transportation
of debris to clear roadways, navigable waterways
and other transportation passages.
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport,
the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, train and
bus stations and our boat marina facilities also
collectively accommodate millions of travelers each
year. Daily travel throughout this type of urban
area environment can (statistically) increase the
probability for accidents to occur.
The City is prepared to respond to any potential
mass transit accident with its own resources
and should a catastrophic event occur, other county,
state, federal and/or private assets will provide
the additional aid that is needed. Extensive planning,
training, cooperation and assistance from other political
districts, public safety and emergency management
organizations, including mutual aid agreements with
other jurisdictions, and hospitals that are equipped
to manage and handle mass casualties, is what is
required to achieve this level of preparedness.
Additional information can be obtained pertaining
to Mass Transit Accidents from the National Transportation
and Safety Boards Web site at http://www.ntsb.gov/.
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