mr. wiedefeld: i do. i think it's, again, why the safe track plan and all the implications of that is why i put it out there. mr. meadows: all right. so if we're looking at this board -- and i understand from a board member that you are -- the buck stops with you. they're not going to micro manage, you are going to have complete authority to make this system safe, reliable and a service standard that we can all applaud, correct? mr. wiedefeld: yes. mr. meadows: if that does not happen, will you within seven days let this committee and the oversight committee know that you are being thwarted on the board? mr. wiedefeld: yes. mr. meadows: i guess what i'm saying is, i am making a request if there is an interference by the board on any of the service-related activity, will you report back to this committee and of the oversight committee? mr. wiedefeld: sir, if i may. again, i took this job to tackle these issues. if i am thwarted in any way, that's not the job for me. mr. meadows: all right. so let me go back

mr. wiedefeld: i do. i think it's, again, why the safe track plan and all the implications of that is why i put it out there. mr. meadows: all right. so if we're looking at this board -- and i understand from a board member that you are -- the buck stops with you. they're not going to micro manage, you are going to have complete authority to make this system safe, reliable and a service standard that we can all applaud, correct? mr. wiedefeld: yes. mr. meadows: if that does not happen, will you within seven days let this committee and the oversight committee know that you are being thwarted on the board? mr. wiedefeld: yes. mr. meadows: i guess what i'm saying is, i am making a request if there is an interference by the board on any of the service-related activity, will you report back to this committee and of the oversight committee? mr. wiedefeld: sir, if i may. again, i took this job to tackle these issues. if i am thwarted in any way, that's not the job for me. mr. meadows: all right. so let me go back

mr. wiedefeld mr. mr. wiedefeld.nstance all the way up to last year have unfortunately had very similar findings in its come down to andoper training of wmata inadequate emergency response. why didn't metro provide better training and staffing for emergency preparedness. at the raile you operations control center to make sure that this is a repeat itself? : i did replace the operations center in april. i have a new head there. a -- additional staff and have a much more robust training program. we have staffed up. we have a liaison 24/seven. we want the incidents that communication between emergency personnel and someone in the operations center. the fta is monitoring activity her that proper procedures are being followed. we are doing basically we started spot testing of our controllers to make sure that they are part of our exercises and in effect with rocher balls at them during those exercises. balls at themrve during those exercises. question for ms. flowers, too. the committee's concern about 's safety.eld --wma

mr. wiedefeld.investigations of different ramada incidents from 1982 all the way up to last year have unfortunately had very similar findings. it's come down to improper training, inadequate emergency response by the operations control staff which was pointed out by ms. flowers. why didn't metro -- two questions here. why didn't metro provide better training and staffing for emergency preparedness and the second question is, what have you changed at the rail operations control center to make sure that this doesn't repeat itself? >> i can't speak to the history of what training they did. i know what we're doing. one of the things i have done, i did replace the head of the operations center in april. i have a new head there. we have added additional staff there. a more robust training program that came out of some of the incidents in the past. we've staffed up. we have a fire liaison for instance now were 24/7. when i got here it was 16 hours out of the day. we now have him for 24 hours. we want the c

mr. wiedefeld say satisfy passengers?et reaction now from someonemom who knows all about metro's meto issue the man responsible for joins us by phone right now.ow good morning. m >> good morning.d >> what was your reaction, sir torque that lengthy interview we just had? h? >> i thought it was greatht it r interview.terv you asked good questions.uestios he gave the best answers i thini he can. >> what would you like to ask to him if you want to add on to tht interview and the questions whaw do you know from the generalom r manager. >> big question i actuallyctua e-mailed him about this i've yey to hear a response. rpons when he unveil safe track planla he asked everybody he saide s everybody needs to sacrifice. i'm wondering what he'se' sacrificing and what the metro executive team is sacrificing? i are they taking the pay cut? are they -- that doesn't seemee very fair to me.e >> we also talked about a new aw person that was brought on boarb to oversee safety.et what are your thoughts about that?at? >> well, i think genera

mr. wiedefeld said at a recent that he attended with me that he is not asking for more money at this timebut is very much focused on addressing these issues and how we can restructure metro and that we can address some of these issues and limitations that are coming up another can find ways to do better. i'm concerned -- the authorities shall not contract or subcontract the work normally performed by the employees within the bargaining unit to find a discriminate which result in a layoff, transfer or demotion of its employees. does this prevent metro from having the kind of flexibility to realize the cost savings of contracting out work and having the best people at the best price do this work? i know i've talked with new general manager about this issue. also met with businesses who are doing trackwork, tell us they can do this at lower cost than we are truly paying and our current cost seem to run well ahead of cause. i also want to see how we are using new technology to document the trac trackwork being done. technologies that can save money and increase safety and transparency and alr

mr. wiedefeld..s over the next year.xtear but that's something positiveitv will come out of that.ome ou so we talk with mr. we'd fell al length the other day here atera fox5. let me ask you, mr. evans, yourr vision, one year from now for n this metro system is what.s w >> to be safe and reliable. not every day. d you know, today is another ath example. every day there is a smoke a s incident or every day there's an incident with train is delayedel or single tracking or somethingt of that nature. nat year from now i hope those areeo in the past.ast. that if you get on train that t stopped you will rely -- youel-- will get to the next stop when n you're supposed. to so it's reliable.ble. that's what people keep tellingp me. they can't be late to work. w they can't be late for l appointments they're trying tots get to. t so safe and reliable.. that's the first goal a year y from now.. then, we have to main the syst system. then we have to upgrade thee system.sy it is really looking tired. tir the system

mr. wiedefeld ordeld anybody from metro ever say why they didn't disclose it earlier?reporter: i mean just likeusl i said, he thought in his h opinion that the public wasn'tt in danger because they arrestede this man just hours after theer crime was committed. and so that is -- that is hist s response to congress as well yesterday.yeerday. >> didn't feel like we needed te know. know. >> thanks, annie. >> congress now stepping in toi try and speed up those securityr lines at airports nationwide.i today the head of the tsa issa i going to face lawmakers onn capitol hill. h peter neffenger will testify. ti this comes after days big shakee up at the agency where the topht security official was replaced.r comes a few days before the the start of season. tsa trying to deal with lines ss long hundreds of people havee hv been forced to miss flights.ts >>> happening day did dc walkalk away from congressional bill a bill to block the wishes of citc voter social security headed to the house today.. big stakes in the district'str fight to spend its own tax tax dollars. do they're

mr. wiedefeld will be ablee over time to be able to move anybody in the organizationio that doesn't respect cultureul of safety and that does notdoes treat the public with respectest and dignity. dignity >> reporter: now, this, t announcement came just a camjust couple of days after metro announced safe track, their plan for maintenance work. basically they wander to cramdea three years' worth of wth maintenance work into one yeare and it will have bigwo impactmpc for customers in continuous single tracking for weeks at a time. a also entire sections of theons e rail line will also be shut s down for weeks at a time. metro service will end at midnight every single day ofingl the week including weekendsng we and all of this starts in early june.rly june. reporting live in downtown,ven o alexandria limon, fox5 local news. >> tense moments outside the mts white house yesterday.e housst secret service says one of its uniformed officers shot a manfia with a gun who approached aro checkpoint outside the whitede w house and refused to drop hisp h weapon. the white house was brieflyrief placed on a

mr >>> first up 8:00 o'clock this 8 morning and happening today,haen metro general manager makingageg sure all of his top staff on thn same page when it comes toom t safety priorities.s paul wiedefeldto meeto e today with everyone of metro's 650 managers. wiedefeld announced that meetine during a wide ranging intervieww yesterday morning on fox5 newses morning.rn the general manager made itade clear those managers are employees and will be helde h accountable for carrying out tho maintenance and the safetyaf vision of the transit system. >>> big step forward in marylana today when it comes to births tr control for both men and women.n governor larry hogan will sign n new bill into law this morning that will eliminate co paymentss for birth control andbirt contraception.ntraceion. it will also require insurance n companies to cover the so-called morning after pill at no cost ns and men looking to get a vasectomy will no longer have to make a co payment. payme >>> also today in maryland,, another baltimore police officem charged in the death of freddioe gray will be in court for pretrial proceedings. officer edward nero's trial setl to begin tomorrow.ro last month, a judge ordered hi