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Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division
TSA I-STEP New England RISE July 11, 2018
AASHTO TSSR Annual Meeting San Diego, CA
Exercise Overview
• June 12, 2018
• College of the Holy Cross
• Worcester, MA
• Full Day Table Top Exercise
• Six New England States
• Conducted by TSA
• Hosted by Mass DOT
• I-95 Corridor Coalition
• National Cooperative Highway Research Program
I-STEP Program Overview
• Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA)
• Intermodal Security Training and Exercise Program (I-STEP)
• Intermodal Environment
• Enhance Security Capabilities
• Build Partnerships
• Gain Insights
• National Infrastructure Protection Plan
• Office of Security Policy and Industry Engagement
• National Transportation Security Policy
Mission Areas, Core Capabilities, And Objectives
• Prevention, Protection
• Physical Protective MeasuresIntroduce participants to federal, state, local, and private sector counterterrorism resources, capabilities, technologies, personnel, and initiatives
• Operational CoordinationEvaluation prevention- and protection-related capabilities, plans, and coordination among New England regional transportation security stakeholders
• Intelligence and Information SharingCollect and evaluate best practices and improve information sharing among New England regional transportation security stakeholders
Exercise Participation
Federal DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Park Service
TSA
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Transportation
Local Franklin Regional Transit Authority
Laconia Police Department
Lowell Emergency Management
Lowell Fire Department
MA Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Transit Police
Manchester Transit Authority
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority
New Haven Health Department
Newport Fire Department
Springfield Area Transit Company
Worcester Fire Department
Private Amtrak
Central Mass Transit Management Inc.
DATTCO
Genesee & Wyoming Railroad
Glatfelter Public Practice Insurance
Greyhound Lines, Inc.
I-95 Corridor Coalition
Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company
MA Port Authority (Massport)
RI Public Transit Authority
School Transportation Association of MA
Sprague Operation Resources LLC
Steamship Authority
Transportation Research Board National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
State Commonwealth Fusion Center
CT Intelligence Center/State Police
MA Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
MA Emergency Management Agency
ME Department of Transportation
Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University
New England State Police Information Network
NH Information and Analysis Center
RI Fusion Center/State Police
VT Department of Public Safety
VT Intelligence Center/State Police
All six DOT states in the region
Industry and federal security partners
Briefings on emerging threats
Expertise on chemical threats
Overview of vehicle ramming attacks
Regional fusion center capabilities
Other intelligence resources
Incident Command System Training
In spring 2018, fusion centers across New England request that law enforcement and public safety personnel remain on heightened alert for threats, specifically to open-air venues.
Current State
Laconia Motorcycle Week
June 10, 20185 days before event
1:55 PM• Staff from a local motel report finding
photographs of the nearby Church Street Bridge and schematics of entry points to the swap meet in a guest’s trash
Swap Meet
June 15, 2018Day of the event
12:23 PM• Laconia police receive multiple
reports of a motorcoach or large delivery truck driving erratically up North Main Street toward crowds at the swap meet
Swap Meet
Vehicle
Lowell Folk Festival
LOWELLLOWELL
July 20, 20187 days before event
6:52 PM• The director of a MA research facility reports
the unusual activities of a chemist on her staff
• An inventory reveals missing chemicals and equipment
LOWELLLOWELL
July 27, 2018Day of the event
11:40 AM• MBTA security identify a chemical threat in
an unattended bag at the commuter rail station
• Security evacuates the facility, and a hazmat team arrives before any toxic release
Lowell Commuter Rail
Festival Entrance
Burlington Discover Jazz Festival
June 1, 2018
Day of the event
6:03 PM
• Two assailants assault a Greyhound bus driver at the
Downtown Transit Center, hijack the bus, and drive it into
crowds entering the festival
Downtown Transit Center
Ramming
Cherry Street
June 1, 2018Day of the event
6:03 PM• The assailants exit the vehicle and proceed to stab concert-
goers before fleeing down College Street to a boat docked on Lake Champlain
Downtown Transit Center
Ramming
Docked Boat
Cherry Street
International Festival of Arts & Ideas
June 20, 2018Day before the event
8:10 PM• New Haven Police receive a tip that
an attack will occur at the festival
• When asked for further details, the tipster hangs up
New Haven Green
June 21, 2018Day of the event
6:15 PM• A garlic and onion odor floats
through the crowd at the New Haven Green
• Patrons disagree about the origin of the smell; some believe it’s from a tanker at State Street Station
• Patrons begin to exhibit a wide-array of symptoms at transportation hubs across the city
New Haven Green
State Street Station
Hall of Fame Tennis Championships
July 22, 2018Day of the event
2:29 PM• Shortly after takeoff from Newport
State Airport, a small aircraft deviates from its established flight plan
• After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the plane, air traffic control commences emergency procedures
Newport State Airport
July 22, 2018Day of the event
3:01 PM• The plane approaches the
International Tennis Hall of Fame and sprays an unknown chemical agent onto the spectators watching live tennis
Newport State Airport
International Tennis Hall of Fame
4.5 mi.
Exercise Observations
• Enhance DOT involvement in special event planning process
• Explore expanded use of Public Notification Platforms
• Ensure evacuation planning includes short and long term needs
• Review protocols for information sharing on suspicious activity
• Review thresholds for prevention and protection actions
• Review how all emergency support functions support ICS
• Continue to harness first responder mobility to mitigate impacts
• Continue to balance protective actions with potential hazards
Thank You!
Lorenzo G. Parra
Director- Highway Operations Center
MassDOT - Highway Division
50 Massport Haul Road
South Boston, MA 02210
617-946-3029