A recent Metrorail accident has brought to the fore a host of major problems regarding the coordination of emergency management in the National Capital Region.  Lack of money is not one of the problems. From the WashPost, see:  Metro Failed to Notify Fire Officials That Radio Alarms Were Not Working. Here are two excerpts:

The Yellow Line accident on Jan. 12 is the latest example of the Washington region’s continuing struggles with emergency response, despite spending nearly $1 billion in federal homeland security grants since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in order to be nimble in a crisis.

The region’s challenges in emergency response arise not from a shortage of money or high-tech gear but from human, bureaucratic and training failures, according to local officials, industry experts, and current and former emergency responders.