RISK MANAGEMENT

By Risk Improvement Department, EMC Insurance Companies, Des Moines, Iowa

Most people understand that firefighters, police officers and other first responders face danger as a part of their daily jobs, but few would expect drivers going about their normal business to be one of the biggest sources of that danger. Thousands of roadway responses occur every day in the United States, and at each of these scenes first responders are at risk of being hit by passing motorists. While working near moving vehicles is always dangerous, adequate training and advance planning can reduce struck-by incidents and make roadside work safer for everyone involved.

Roadside Safety Training Topics for First Responders

Roadway incident safety training is especially important for new recruits and volunteers but should also be reinforced regularly for all first responders. What your training covers will be unique to your agency’s function, but a recent webinar (https://info.lexipol.com/ webinar-law-enforcement-road - way-safety) on highway safety for first responders, presented by EMC partner Lexipol in conjunction with the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, highlights key steps. Below are some roadside safety topics that are generally included in first responders training.

Hazard awareness—

First responders often underestimate the danger of working near traffic. Inform your team about how often first responders are struck by vehicles and include information about “D drivers” (drunk, drugged, drowsy, disgruntled, distracted) to ensure your staff understands the threat.

Practices and procedures—

To make sure everyone is on the same page, document your Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) for responding to roadside incidents.

Scene size-up and reports—

In the event of a roadside incident, the first arriving unit on the scene should report traffic-related details, such as which lanes of the roadway are affected and which they will block off.

Communications and terminology—

If you have multi-lane highways in your jurisdiction, explaining the location of an incident can be difficult. Create a standard lane numbering system to clear up any potential confusion.

Emergency vehicle positioning—

How will you protect your scene, including the first responders, victims involved in the incident and property inside of the vehicles? Discuss ways to shield the scene without creating additional issues for other motorists.

Personal protective equipment—

OSHA requires all emergency response personnel to wear high-visibility vests when working on roadway incidents, unless they are actively exposed to flames or heat (i.e. fighting a fire) or hazardous materials are present.

Temporary traffic control and devices—

Explain how traffic control devices such as cones, signs and flares should be deployed to give motorists advance warning of your operations. Be sure to cover acceptable processes for putting them out and removing them safely. ing the following exercises:

• Critique recent incidents to evaluate response and discuss improvements

• Look for conflicts between agency SOPs/SOGs that might decrease safety during an incident

• Review common terminology

• Discuss incident command systems and/or unified command

• Determine apparatus and vehicle placement

• Discuss temporary traffic controls

• Review personal protective equipment

• Plan multi-discipline training opportunities

• Establish and reinforce relationships

Who Should Be Involved in Roadside Safety Planning?

One important step in making roadside operations safer is to involve all local agencies in the planning. Coordinate meetings at least once a quarter and invite representatives from agencies you expect to be involved with roadway incidents, including:

• 911 dispatchers

• DOT and public works

• EMS

• Fire and rescue

• Law enforcement

• Medical examiner

• Safety service patrols (“highway helpers”)

• Towing and recovery

Planning ahead can eliminate the command and control confusion that leaves first responders vulnerable to traffic. Use multi-agency planning meetings to create an organized approach to roadway responses and consider incorporat -

Emergency Traffic Control and Scene Management Guidelines

Traffic control is an essential part of incident responses. Having a planned and coordinated process to respond to and clear traffic incidents and restore traffic flow will help keep first responders and other drivers safe.

Blocking and Signage—

Position first arriving vehicles in a way that protects the scene—a concept known as “blocking”.

The specifics of your blocking will vary, depending on what vehicles are responding and the nature of the call. The placement of a patrol car on a traffic stop will be different than an EMS unit responding to a medical assist call. Because of their size and visibility, fire trucks often serve as a block during highway incidents. Parking blocking vehicles at an angle is essential to help alert motorists that the vehicle is stopped and not moving.

It’s also important to block the lane of travel upstream of the incident to guide moving traffic away from the scene. You’ll need to provide adequate advance warning to motorists that the traffic pattern is changing ahead. These advance warning techniques are useful not only on highways, but on any roadway where you might not be easily seen by drivers.

Clear the Scene Quickly—

In an ideal scenario you will move everyone and everything away from the roadway as quickly as possible to minimize traffic disruption and the chance of a secondary incident. Consider the following strategies to achieve a safe, quick clearance.

• Implement Move It or Work It, a systematic decision-making model for deciding if an incident can be moved out of travel lanes to a safer area

• Encourage faster removal of stranded vehicles through TRIP (towing and recovery incentive programs)

• Perform tasks simultaneously whenever possible to shorten time on-scene

• Use the unified command and incident action plans that were drawn up with partner agencies

• Release any units that aren’t needed for work or scene safety