Timeline shows long delay before help sent to Metro collision

New information surfaces about Metro train collision

An investigation into the Farragut West Station train collision is providing new information.

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - A timeline released by WMATA, DC Fire and EMS, as well as the District’s Office of Unified Communications, shows seven minutes went by before the 911 center sent emergency equipment to Monday mornings train collision at the Farragut West station. The National standard is 60 to 90 seconds.

The timeline shows 17 minutes went by between the time of the collision and the initial dispatch for a crash. Here is the timeline as we know it:

12:48 AM - TRAIN 700 STRIKES TRAIN 755 BETWEEN FOGGY BOTTOM AND FARRAGUT WEST STATIONS

12:56-12:58 - METRO CALLS 911 TO REPORT A TRAIN COLLISION WITH INJURIES

1:02:48 - DC FIRE AND EMS DISPATCH'S ENGINE/AMBULANCE FOR INJURED PERSON

1:05:51 - DC FIRE AND EMS DISPATCH'S BOX ALARM FOR A COLLISION BETWEEN TWO TRAINS AT FARRAGUT WEST.

Audio of radio traffic between the train drivers and Metro’s Control Center or ROCC reveals both train drivers reported injuries.

A source familiar with the 911 call made by Metro says the call taker was told more than once that there was a train collision with injuries but the initial dispatch wasn’t for a crash. Instead, it was for an injured person at the station.

FOX 5 asked Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld and his safety officer Theresa Impastato about the timeline and delay but they declined to directly address it.

“What I am saying is the numbers were preliminary” said Wiedefeld, “which is what we reported and that is why we are doing the data analysis now to firm up all of the information that we have whether its the time, whether it is information we are getting from the different systems we are not going to jump the gun until we know exactly what we have".

The seven-minute delay comes on the heels of another dispatch delay to a fatal fire on Kennedy Street Northwest in August.

Even though police were on the scene and asking for help - four minutes went by - before the 911 center dispatched firefighters to the scene. Two people lost their lives including a little boy.

At the time the Director of the Office of Unified Communications defended the response saying the information was coming from an officer over the radio rather than a caller to 911.

We asked the Director of OUC for a comment on the delay but we have received no response.