Imagine turning on the TV and seeing a news report on an explosion at a railroad crossing in Southern California.
It hasn’t happened yet, but it could and was the focus of a first-of-its-kind international surface transportation tabletop exercise with TSA and Baja California Railroad from Mexico.
The Baja California Railroad (BJRR) is the only Mexican entity that crosses by rail over the world’s largest land border at San Ysidro, California, making it the perfect partner for TSA to create a unique exercise to examine possible threats on the rail line.
The exercise scenario was an explosion at the San Ysidro rail border crossing, and about 60 people took part in the training event. Participants included representatives from BJRR, Customs & Border Protection, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad, San Diego Police and Fire, the FBI and TSA Representative (TSAR) Josue Diaz.
TSA Surface Region 5 Acting Regional Security Inspector Victoria Schwab called the tabletop exercise in San Diego a groundbreaking event.
“This event was important because it brought together U.S. federal agencies, state and local government along with Mexican companies and representatives to discuss procedures, actions and communications during a serious security incident,” said Schwab. “This had never been done in the surface environment and is paramount in identifying risk and potential solutions for vulnerabilities that affect two countries.”
Schwab said the tabletop exercise, in part, came out of Baja’s desire to expand its training opportunities with TSA’s Surface Region 5.
“Railroads across the country face threats from international and domestic terrorism that can impact their operations and cripple the delivery of critical products and supplies to U.S. companies and consumers,” Schwab noted. “Communication and the sharing of information between agencies and key players is vital to the identification of threats and vulnerabilities and critically important in preventing terrorist attacks.”
TSA Surface leaders hope this is the first of many training exercises with the agency’s international partners.
“This training exercise with a valued Mexican stakeholder is an important first step in enhancing rail security at our borders and with our international partners,” said TSA Regional Security Director James Duncan. “The support we received from TSA International Operations, in particular TSAR Diaz in Mexico City, was crucial to the success of the Exercise Information System (EXIS) event and is central to our continuing international efforts.”
Schwab said a key takeaway from the exercise was discovering that TSA’s international partners are ready and willing to work with the U.S. government. The exercise also highlighted the need for additional training to benefit both sides of our southern border should there ever be a security event like the one at the center of the Baja tabletop exercise.
Schwab said, “This event fostered new relationships and partnerships that will further TSA’s mission of protecting the nation’s transportation systems to ensure the freedom of movement for people and commerce.”
By Don Wagner, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs