Traffic Incident Management
The Resources listed here provide detail on the many aspects of how roadways are best managed in instances of traffic, accidents, and planned events. Some of these Resources include information on Traffic Incident Management (TIM) teams, which coordinate the policy and planning for roadway event/incident response at the leadership level. Please note that a module on The National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management is available on the Responder Safety Learning Network (learning.respondersafety.com).
NTMIC "Anatomy of a Traffic Incident"
This document from the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition provides basic information about what happens in traffic incident response. This information is intended for use in public education campaigns.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
Benefits of TIM Committees
Fire departments, law enforcement, transportation, emergency medical agencies and towing and recovery operators are responding to an ever-increasing number of roadway incidents involving crashes, medical emergencies, vehicle fires, and hazardous material events.
Upload Date: 5/11/2021
Building Safer Highway Work Zones: Measures to Prevent Worker Injuries From Vehicles and Equipment
Through synthesis of current research on highway work zone safety with input from participants in a December 1998 workshop, this document offers measures that contractors, agencies, policymakers, manufacturers, law enforcement, and the research community can take to reduce occupational injuries in highway work zones.
Upload Date: 1/7/2013
Certified TIM Person Study Guide
This Exam Workbook and Study Guide prepares the user to take the written test for certification to earn the Certified Traffic Incident Management Person credential offered by the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) in cooperation with The Emergency Responder Safety Institute of the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association. This certification is accredited by The Pro Board.
Upload Date: 12/6/2021
Citizens’ Hose Company Struck By Case Study
Go inside the December 17, 2020 struck by incident that shook Citizens’ Hose Company (Smyrna, DE) to its core and hear from the firefighters involved what happened, how traffic control made the difference, and how the department has responded moving forward.
Upload Date: 8/17/2021
Connecticut Traffic Incident Scene Management Field Guide
Developed by the Capitol Region Council of Governments Greater Hartford Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Coalition, this field guide provides guidance for traffic incident scene management for emergency response organizations. Includes TIM and responder safety basic principles, guidelines for deploying traffic control devices, recommended TIM procedures, and practical diagrams of traffic control applications like vehicle classification, stopping distances, and traffic incident management area setups for different roadway configurations.
Upload Date: 10/21/2021
Effects of Emergency Vehicle Lighting on Drivers
“Effects of Emergency Vehicle Lighting Characteristics on Driver Perception and Behavior: Study Report” is an ERSI report of human factors research in cooperation with RPI and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The study investigates the impact of lighting color, intensity, modulation, flash rate, and presence of retroreflective chevron markings on driver behavior while traversing a simulated traffic incident scene at night. Findings cover the effects of lamp intensity, lamp color, and retroreflective markings on the visibility of a simulated responder at a test incident scene. Whether these factors create a “moth to flame” effect was also examined. The report describes the experiment design, the tasks researchers completed, and the results observed.
Upload Date: 1/5/2022
Erie County Sobriety Checkpoint Traffic Control Zone Set-Up & Safety Worksheet
Erie County Sobriety Checkpoint Traffic Control Zone Set-Up & Safety Worksheet
Upload Date: 6/26/2019
Example Suggested Traffic Control Professional Equipment List from the Adams Area Fire District
This document is a recommended example of a traffic control professional equipment list. It was provided by the Adams Area Fire District.
Upload Date: 12/21/2012
Hardening Blocking Vehicles for Traffic Incidents and Planned Special Events
This report summarizes a workshop convened during the 2018 National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week on how to harden blocking vehicles to protect responders and the public.
Upload Date: 4/2/2019
Highway Incident Safety and MUTCD Guidelines for Emergency Responders
The Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association (CVVFA) and their Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) developed this manual and the accompanying online-based training course for first responders and other personnel who respond to roadway incident scenes. In the initial minutes of a roadway incident, responders often find themselves operating in moving traffic at great peril.
Upload Date: 11/6/2013
Highway Lane Designations and Terminology
This reference card from the Emergency Responder Safety Institute illustrates the accepted highway lane numbering system and nomenclature for describing roadways in consistent terms.
Upload Date: 5/9/2011
Impacts of Emergency Vehicle Marking Color, Patterns and Retroreflectivity on Safety-Related Driver Responses: Study Report
This ERSI study reports the results of a field experiment to investigate the impacts of emergency vehicle marking color, retroreflectivity level and spatial patterns on drivers’ ability to see emergency responders working near their vehicles was carried out. The study also examined the impacts of a wearable flashing LED light.
Upload Date: 12/7/2023
Law Enforcement Stops & Safety Subcommittee: Staff Study 2004.
This 2004 Staff Study Report documents the work to date of the Law Enforcement Stops and Safety Subcommittee. It includes technology, practices, and research related to improving officer safety and preventing police vehicle crashes. Recommendations are included at the end of each section of the re¬port as benchmarks against which to measure future successes to improve the safety of police vehicles, highway environment and design, and traffic stop practices.
Upload Date: 12/21/2012
Managing Emergency Incidents on the Roadway: Instructor Manual
This document from the Emergency Responder Safety Institute and the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association is the Instructor Manual for the course “Managing Emergency Incidents on the Roadway.” This program was developed to provide emergency services leaders and instructors with information and tools on traffic incident management that they can use to train other emergency responders in there departments or agencies. This Manual includes both classroom management information, full speaker’s notes for the training presentation, and a tabletop exercise.
Upload Date: 5/7/2008
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is a compilation of national standards for all traffic control devices, including road markings, highway signs, and traffic signals. The MUTCD is used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, bikeways, and private roads open to public traffic.
Upload Date: 12/21/2012
Model SOP/SOG: “Safe Positioning While Operating In or Near Moving Traffic”
This document is a model SOP/SOG to use as a “go by” when formulating your departments’ SOP/SOG on safe position of apparatus while operating on or near the roadway.
Upload Date: 7/11/2012
Model Standard Operating Guideline (SOG) for Cone, Flare, or Sign Deployment at Traffic-Related Incidents
This document is a model SOG to use as a “go by” when formulating your department’s SOG for cone, flare, or sign deployment at traffic-related incidents.
Upload Date: 11/2/2009
National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program (NLERSP) Information
This document explains opportunities available from the National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program (NLERSP), which provides no-cost training, technical assistance, and resources to local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies with the goal of reducing the number of officers injured and killed on the nation’s roadways. Further information is available at LEOroadwaysafety.org.
Upload Date: 3/22/2023
National Unified Goal Bookmark
This bookmark publicizes the National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management and its strategies.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
National Unified Goal FAQ
This document answers Frequently Asked Questions about need for and development of the National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management
This document summarizes the 18 Strategies in the National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management.
Upload Date: 5/7/2008
National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management: Detailed Explanation
This document provides additional, detailed explanation for each of the 18 Strategies in the National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management.
Upload Date: 5/7/2008
National Unified Goal Talking Points
This document provides talking points for speakers presenting the National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
National Unified Goal Trifold Brochure
This trifold brochure summarizes the National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management, how it was developed, what organizations were involved in developing it. Detail on the strategies is not included in this document.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
New York State Emergency Traffic Control and Scene Management Guidelines
These guidelines were established to provide incident responders in the state of New York a uniform approach to emergency traffic control and scene management. The guidelines include incident response priorities, incident classification, responder safety, responder vehicles, establishing the traffic incident management area, staging, breakdown, and investigation.
Upload Date: 12/21/2012
Nova Scotia Emergency Responders Traffic Management Guidelines for Emergency Scenes
This manual, developed in Nova Scotia, Canada, presents guidelines for traffic management, including setup of the emergency traffic control zone, vehicle positioning, traffic control device placement, and incident command setup.
Upload Date: 6/11/2008
NTMIC "Benefits of Traffic Incident Management"
This paper from the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition summarizes currently available information about the benefits of Traffic Incident Management (TIM), including congestion relief, economic savings, energy conservation and environmental benefits, public health and safety improvements, reduced mortality and morbidity, increased responder safety, reduced public safety personnel requirements, and increased customer satisfaction. The document also discusses ways to measure these benefits.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
NTMIC "Example Strategies for Building Stronger State TIM Programs"
This document from the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition reviews examples of traffic incident management (TIM) strategies to build stronger state TIM programs. These strategies include interagency strategic planning, statewide best practices guidelines, stronger working partnerships between agencies, performance goals, and workable TIM organizational structures. The document also summarizes example state and local TIM programs.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
NTMIC "Lane Designation Terminology"
This document from the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition provides a common terminology for use by responders during traffic incidents when identifying the location of the incident and the preferred position for arriving response vehicles and equipment. The document encourages response agencies to adopt this common terminology.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
NTMIC "Prompt, Reliable Incident Communications"
This document from the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition provides a framework for improving incident communications, including response planning, incident notification protocols, public advisories, emergency routing, CAD-ITS integration, and emerging communications technologies.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
NTMIC "Responder Safety"
This document from the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition reviews available data on responder fatalities that occurred while working on the roadways and suggests strategies to reduce the incidence of these fatalities.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
NTMIC "Safe, Quick Clearance"
This document from the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition proposes strategies to achieve safe, quick clearance of traffic incidents.
Upload Date: 12/17/2012
Position of the Emergency Responder Safety Institute on the Use of Advance Warning Traffic Signs
This statement presents the position of the CVVFA Emergency Responder Safety Institute on the use of temporary traffic signs for advance warning at roadway incidents.
Upload Date: 6/7/2011
Responder Safety Learning Network Programs Supporting JPRs in NFPA 1091: Standard for Traffic Incident Management Personnel Professional Qualifications (2019 Ed.)
Following each JPR in this standard that is related to emergency responders working on the roadway, you will find a list of ResponderSafety Learning Network modules whose content supports that JPR.
Upload Date: 4/20/2020
Suggested Traffic Control Professional Equipment List
This document is a list of recommended equipment for a traffic control professional.
Upload Date: 12/21/2012
Ten Cones of Highway Safety
This video makes plain the dangers of working on the roadway, the grave reality of line of duty deaths occurring on the roadway, and explains the “ten cones of highway safety” for responders to practice to work more safely on the road.
Upload Date: 12/21/2012
The First 15 Minutes - Decision Making at Roadway Incidents
This Power Point program provides training for responders on the first arriving apparatus at a highway incident. The first 15 minutes of an incident often sets the tone for the entire response. Learn how practices such as “windshield size up” can make the scene safer.
Upload Date: 9/6/2013
The Past, Present, and Future of Responder Safety at Roadway Incidents
This paper summarizes the proceedings of a workshop convened by the Emergency Responder Safety Institute during the 2018 National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week to envision the future of roadway incident response safety and traffic incident management and as a Twenty Year Review of the original 1999 White Paper "Protecting Emergency Responders on the Highway".
Upload Date: 4/17/2019
Traffic Hazards to Fire Fighters While Working Along Roadways
This alert describes the hazards facing fire fighters working along roadways, presents two case studies, and lists recommendations for prevention of struck bys.
Upload Date: 1/7/2013
Traffic Incident Management Area (TIMA)
Traffic Incident Management Area (TIMA)
Upload Date: 4/3/2019
Traffic Incident Management Area Reference Diagram and Emergency Responder Checklist
This ResponderSafety.Com reference card diagrams the layout of a Traffic Incident Management Area and provides important traffic management details, including incident magnitude definitions, TIMA area lengths based on posted speed limit, and an Emergency Responder Checklist for crucial roadway response actions.
Upload Date: 4/3/2019
Traffic Incident Management Committees Drive Roadway Safety
The video, “Traffic Incident Management Committees Drive Roadway Safety” is an inside look into what a TIM Committee does, how it makes emergency responders’ work easier and safer, and the ways its activities help responders deliver superior service to the public at roadway incidents.
Upload Date: 3/11/2024
Traffic Incident Management Handbook
This handbook from the Federal Highway Administration includes the latest advances in TIM programs and practices across the country, and offers practitioners insights into the latest innovations in TIM tools and technologies, including strategic, tactical, and support elements.
Upload Date: 12/20/2012
Traffic Incident Management Systems
This report from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) provides guidance to local-level fire departments on compliance with the Department of Transportation’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the National Fire Service Incident Management System Consortium’s (NFSIMSC’s) Model Procedures Guide for Highway Incidents. This document details incident case studies, describes equipment to improve highway safety, shows how to set up a safe traffic incident management area, explains incident command for highway incidents, and lists best practices and other sources of information on effective highway incident operations.
Upload Date: 5/31/2008
Watch Out Behind You!
A full operations level training program that may be taught in modules. Suggested presenters should be at least a level one instructor. Suggested teaching time is 4 hours total.
Upload Date: 9/6/2013