§1166 Railroad carrier exercises

Summary

The Secretary must create a program of security exercises for railroad carriers. The goal is to test and improve how governments, railroads, and emergency responders prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks. The groups checked by the program include federal, State, local, and tribal governments; railroad companies; emergency response and law enforcement (including railroad and transit police); and any other groups the Secretary finds needed. The program must bring together existing exercises run by the Department and the Department of Transportation unless the Secretary says not to. Exercises must be sized to fit the carrier, include the needs of older people and people with disabilities, be live for the highest-risk sites, be realistic and based on current risks, involve frontline railroad workers when appropriate, and follow national plans and systems (National Incident Management System; National Response Plan; National Infrastructure Protection Plan; National Preparedness Guidance; National Preparedness Goal). The Secretary will measure and evaluate exercises, share best practices with relevant groups, give recommendations for fixes, notify local communities in advance when appropriate, help others run matching exercises, and make this program part of the National Exercise Program under section 748.