Next week, Arlington’s finest in police and fire department uniforms will be part of a 2,500-strong swarm of local, state, and federal forces gearing up for the record-breaking MetroX Regional Preparedness Exercise, a behemoth of a drill set to simulate the chaos of a terrorist attack and mass casualties spread over North Central Texas’ locales. The City of Arlington reported that from October 27-29, participants, including emergency medical services, hospitals, school districts, and city officials, will run through the motions of crisis management, while also enjoying the dubious bonus of getting a head start on preparing for the logistical nightmare that is the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As per the City of Arlington, Todd Little, the NCTCOG Executive Director, said, “MetroX is one of the largest regional exercises coordinated by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Emergency Preparedness Department and regional public safety teams,” and whether residents are ready or not, they’ll get an unplanned show of emergency exercises including the very expected sights and sounds of fake gunfire, simulated disaster scenes, and all the bells and whistles of first responder shindigs right around Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington…