04252018 - Denton Disaster Drill News Release (April 2018) DCTADENTON COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION
AUTHORITY or
DENTON
Media Contact Information:
Jessica Rogers, City of Denton Deputy Director of Public Affairs
Phone: 940.349.7531 • Email: Jessica.Rogers(a cityofdenton.com
Adrienne Hamilton, DCTA Communications Manager
Phone: 972.316.6114 • Email: ahamilton(a0cta.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Denton and Denton County Transportation Authority Partner to
Conduct Full-Scale Disaster Drill on Friday, May 4
Denton, TX (April 25, 2018) —The City of Denton and the Denton County Transportation
Authority (DCTA) are collaborating to conduct a full-scale disaster drill on Friday, May 4, from 10
a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at DCTA's Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC). The exercise— named
"Operation Mercury Rising" —will simulate a large scale disaster to test the response capabilities
and emergency operations of first responders, hospitals, and other agencies.
Annual Drill to Evaluate Crisis Plan and Response
The City of Denton conducts a full-scale disaster exercise each year to evaluate current
response concepts, plans and capabilities, and test response systems for strengths and needed
improvements. Other departments and agencies participating in the full-scale disaster drill
include: First Transit, Union Pacific Railroad, Transportation Community Awareness and
Emergency Response (TRANSCAER®), Denton Fire department, Denton Police department,
Atrium Medical Center, Texas Health Presbyterian Denton, the Heart Hospital Baylor Denton,
North Central Texas Council of Government (NCTCOG).
Approximately 100 students from the University of North Texas (UNT) and Texas Woman's
University (TWU) will serve as mock victims, and many will be transported from the scene by
"walking wounded" DCTA buses to participating hospitals.
"The annual disaster drill is an excellent way to test our emergency response capabilities," said
Denton Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges. "It is important to ensure that we are prepared and ready to
respond in the event of a real-world event. We are also thankful that our community partners,
like DCTA, UNT, and local hospitals,join us in working together to help protect the Denton
community."
DCTA Service Modifications during the Exercise
During the full-scale disaster drill, DCTA A-train service will be suspended. Bus operations will
not be suspended, and DCTA is partnering with the City of Denton to have regular bus service
from the DDTC stationed at City Hall East in the parallel parking area adjacent to the building.
The DDTC will be open and accessible during regular business hours.
DCTA riders needing to access the A-train during the drill can use the bus bridge DCTA will
have in operation from the DDTC to the MedPark Station. Specific times for the A-train
suspension and bus bridge schedule can be found at RideDCTA.net.
"Collaborating with the City of Denton for this full-scale disaster drill is a great opportunity for
DCTA to test and evaluate our response and partner crisis communications strategy to
demonstrate that we are prepared to respond effectively to ensure public safety," said Jim Cline,
DCTA President. "In addition, we have operational plans in place to make sure our riders can
use our facilities and services to get to their desired destination during the exercise."
For more information about the full-scale disaster drill, visit cityofdenton.com and
RideDCTA.net.
About City of Denton
The City of Denton is a full service municipal organization that operates under the council-manager form of government.City
directed services include public safety and emergency services;a municipally owned electric utility;a landfill and resource
recovery park;an airport;three libraries;30 parks,27 miles of trails, and three recreation centers;a water park and natatorium;
and a 2,900-acre nature preserve. Denton,Texas is the seat of Denton County,located at the apex of the Dallas-Fort Worth
Metroplex,where 1-35E meets I-35W. Denton ranks as one of the fastest growing communities in Texas,with a current
population estimate of 120,000.Visit www.citVofdenton.com for more news and to stay updated.
About Denton County Transportation Authority
Formed in 2002 and funded in 2003,the Denton County Transportation Authority has been focused on an aggressive service
implementation strategy to address the mobility needs of Denton County residents.The central element of the agency's service
plan is the A-train,which connects with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit's(DART)Green Line at Trinity Mills in Carrollton and
provides service to five stations within Denton County. In addition to the A-train, DCTA provides Connect Bus service in Denton
and Lewisville, Connect Shuttle and Community On-Demand services in Highland Village,Access service, Frisco Demand-
Response service, Collin County Transit service, North Texas Xpress commuter bus service in partnership with Fort Worth
Transportation Authority(FWTA), University of North Texas(UNT)and North Central Texas College(NCTC)Campus Shuttle
and vanpool services.The agency carries nearly three million passengers annually system-wide. For more information about
DCTA,visit www.RideDCTA.net.