
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) station managers, who are responsible for observing, inspecting, and overseeing the system’s 91 stations, are ill-equipped to respond to emergencies, according to a new report that says inspectors found inoperative flash lights, expired first aid materials, and myriad inconsistent mechanisms for unlocking emergency lock boxes in a review of 19 stations over the summer, The Washington Post reports.
The report by WMATA’s quality control team found some of the surveillance monitors inside the stations weren’t functioning “for an extended period of time” for reasons unbeknownst to station managers, compromising their ability to observe the stations from the glass-enclosed booths where they also monitor radios. The review concluded WMATA did not properly inform station managers the equipment was being updated, although WMATA noted the cameras remained operational and the footage could be viewed from other locations.










