Colorado State Patrol Achieves Historic First On the Responder Safety Learning Network

Contacts:

Steve Austin
Program Manager
ResponderSafety.com and RSLN.org
[email protected]

Trooper Joshua Lewis
Colorado State Patrol
[email protected]
303-239-4583

Jan. 20, 2022 (HARRISBURG, Pa. and COLORADO) — The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) congratulates the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) on becoming the first law enforcement agency to have all active duty Peace Officer Standard Training (POST) certified officers earn the National Traffic Incident Management Training Certificate from the Responder Safety Learning Network (RSLN.org). All 670 active duty CSP law enforcement officers, from the newest troopers up to the Chief of the CSP, completed the National TIM Training Certificate on RSLN.org in 2021. The law enforcement community has a critical need for this roadway incident response safety training. Thirty of the sixty-five emergency responders struck and killed at roadway incident scenes in 2021 were law enforcement officers.

The CSP mandated the National TIM Training Certificate as part of implementing 19 recommendations from an external subject matter expert’s unbiased assessment of 5 CSP trooper line-of-duty deaths and 96 other struck-by incidents in the last five years. The CSP’s response uses a three-tier strategy to target roles and responsibilities, continuous learning, and awareness to improve education, procedures, and full organization focus on Traffic Safety Management Operations (TSMO) and Traffic Incident Management practices. Ensuring all CSP active duty POST certified officers earn the National TIM Certificate on RSLN.org is a key part of this strategy.

"What seems on the surface to be an ambitious goal for any agency covering a breadth of community needs, becomes negligible when faced with the annual losses of first responders dying in service on the roadside," states Col. Matthew C. Packard, Colorado State Patrol. "If we understand the personal sacrifice and burdens that these men and women make while performing their daily duties, then it is an obligation to do all we can to keep their welfare at the forefront because nothing is more important than the lives of first responders and the people they serve day in and day out.”

“We commend the CSP leadership and troopers on their steadfast commitment to roadway incident response safety,” said Steve Austin, project manager of ResponderSafety.com and RSLN.org. “Law enforcement officers are at significant risk of being struck at the roadway incident scene. Training is one way we mitigate this risk. For the CSP to mandate the National TIM Training Certificate shows real care for the lives of its troopers and the motoring public. We hope other law enforcement agencies follow their example.”

The National TIM Training Certificate is a 10-module, 10-hour training program covering comprehensive responder safety and traffic incident management practices and lessons learned. The Responder Safety Learning Network (RSLN.org), part of ResponderSafety.com, delivers the Certificate online. The training and Certificate are free.

For more information on how the CSP challenged itself to complete “10 in 10” to earn the National TIM Training Certificate and its agency-wide adoption of TSMO and TIM practices through formal continuing education of officers and cadets, please read the CSP’s announcement.

To earn the National TIM Certificate on RSLN.org, please visit rsln.org/TIMCertificate on the Responder Safety Learning Network.

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ABOUT RESPONDERSAFETY.COM
Respondersafety.com and The Responder Safety Learning are a project of the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, a Committee of the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Fireman’s Association. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) serves as an advisory group of public safety leaders and transportation experts committed to reducing deaths and injuries to America's emergency responders ERSI is dedicated to the safety of these men and women by engaging in and promoting activities that include developing educational material to support responder safety training; promoting the National Unified Goal (NUG) for Traffic Incident Management (TIM) including responder safety; safe, quick clearance and interoperable communications; encouraging the development of TIM Teams, promoting collaboration, communication and cooperation among the nation’s emergency responders and keeping emergency responders up to date on national rules, regulations and trends related to safe roadway incident operations. For updates, please follow ResponderSafety.com on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

ABOUT THE COLORADO STATE PATROL
Since our origin in 1935, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) has focused on preserving human life and protecting property within our communities. Our 1,100 members embody the core values of Honor, Duty, and Respect in their daily jobs. In addition to our expertise in motor vehicle safety on the state’s roadways, the CSP is responsible for the Governor and other dignitaries’ protection, commercial motor vehicle enforcement, hazardous materials, homeland security, communications, investigative services, criminal interdiction, community education, aviation operations, and more. For additional information, visit us online at Colorado State Patrol or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Facebook.