Towing

Angela Barnett, is the Executive Director of the Arizona Towing Association and the the former Executive Director of the International Towing & Recovery Museum, in Chattanooga, TN, and has been involved in the towing industry since 1997, owning two towing companies in Texas.

Over the years, Angela has found herself involved in everything towing or safety related. Angela started by becoming involved in her state’s (TX) towing association, moving up to being involved on committees with the Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA), to eventually becoming its 3rd Vice President. In 2007 she was named Tow Woman of the Year. She led the committee that produced two safety videos for the towing industry on safety. Angela also served on the Women’s Towing and Recovery Associations board for two terms.

During these many years where she has devoted her time and effort to safety and education, she also became an instructor for American Traffic Safety Services Association in 2004. Angela has traveled the U.S. instructing responders on Incident Management procedures and awareness. She is also a FHWA Sharp 2 instructor for Incident Management. Angela has been a part of the NUG summits, and is a current member of the CVVFA and its Emergency Responder Safety Institute. Angela was recently appointed to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Traffic Control Incident Management Professional Qualifications Committee.

The International Towing & Recovery Museum is the only one in the world. The museum is a non-profit, supported solely by its membership and donations. The museum was built in Chattanooga, the birth place of the tow truck.

Outside of the museum, is a memorial wall that was dedicated in 2006. It is in honor that names are placed on this wall of fallen towers, that died in line of duty. The wall currently, has 392 names on, and will place on average another 40 this year.

The wall Is not the only honor that we give our fallen. A Survivor Fund was established and is there for families of loved ones that died in the line of duty. A museum membership is not necessary to qualify for these funds.

Please, visit our website for more information.

Welcome! The towing industry is pleased that ResponderSafety.com acknowledges us as a key component on the roadway when it comes to incidents. Normally, we are the last ones called and the last to arrive and leave, this has changed over the past ten years we have made great strides in being accepted and acknowledged as a roadway partner.

As professionals, in many states it is mandatory that we have towing training and licenses to be able to drive a tow truck. This is great, and with the Federal Government supporting the Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA), the only certified testing organization for towers, Incident Management is included in this test.

There are many tow training entities out there now across the United States that includes Incident Management as part of their program. We are trying as an industry to educate ourselves. It is not an easy task, the funding for towers is not there as in other professions. We are the only public/private sector that comes to an incident. It is up to us to do our part and educate ourselves, employees and others that we are a qualified partner.

Municipalities and other government organizations are requiring tow companies to do the setup of certain devices as part of their contract or policies. This is not the norm, however everyone should be aware to what their cities and counties are doing and requiring.

I encourage each of you to visit with your local towers, include them in your training. Let them be apart of the IC process, not the last one to show up.

I hope you enjoy the page and if you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Angela Barnett

Tiptow04@yahoo.com

512-484-7928