Crash Responder Safety Week (#CRSW) Spotlights Responders Ahead! Reduce Your Speed As You Proceed
Formerly National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week
When: November 18-22, 2024
Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) is an opportunity to make a difference individually and jointly for roadway safety during traffic incidents by teaching each other and the motoring public about our common goal and responsibility for safe, quick clearance.
Public education and effective TIM practices that alert drivers and prepare them to react properly when encountering emergency scenes, including moving over and slowing down, keep motorists safe, reduce needless secondary crashes, and save lives. The goal of Crash Responder Awareness Week is to reach out to every emergency responder, every driver, and every passenger, to educate them in how to play their part in ensuring safe responses at roadway incident scenes. More details are available from the National Operations Center of Excellence. Use the hashtag #CRSW when posting on social media about your responder safety and TIM activities.
The Emergency Responder Safety Institute is an official partner and supporter of Crash Responder Safety Week.
ResponderSafety.com and The Responder Safety Learning Network have hundreds of resources to help you plan your Crash Responder Safety Week training to improve the safety of your personnel when responding to incidents on the roadway, including vehicle fires, crashes, medical emergencies, natural disasters, and large scale responses like mass casualties and violent incidents. Here are the main categories of resources available to you. All resources are free.
- The Responder Safety Learning Network has over 40 online training modules about every aspect of roadway incident response safety
- Awareness posters to promote key roadway incident response safety practices within the department:
- A distracted driving prevention poster for public education
- Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Packages for Instructors with full lesson plans, videos, and model SOPs on 10 critical topics for teaching roadway incident response safety
- Roadway Safety Shorts are quick, practical videos on recommended safety practices for crucial tasks at roadway incident scenes
- Written Resources on multiple topics related to roadway response safety
- Videos on roadway response procedure demonstrations, PSAs, and recommended practices
- Struck By Incidents articles, reports, and an incident location map
- Struck By Survivor Stories Video and In Our Boots PSAs respectively, from their words.
- Emergency Vehicles information including videos and white papers on high visibility markings and emergency lighting recommended practices
- High Visibility Apparel information on requirements and recommended practices
- Resources for PIOs and Public Educators (PSAs, media kits, media advisories, infographic, push, card, and more)
- Resources for departments serving rural roads
- Resources for EMS departments
If you need somewhere to start, ResponderSafety.com has created the following plan for training options during Crash Responder Safety Week.
All Week: Take the National TIM Training Certificate Challenge
- Challenge your personnel to complete the National TIM Training Certificate from the Responder Safety Learning Network during this week. Set a participation goal and reward if the goal is met. Personnel can prove they completed the certificate by printing and showing the National TIM Training Certificate to their supervisor or commanding officer.
During Your Weekly Training Session, Drill Night, or Down Time on Shift
There are many different ways to use the topic plans described below.
- Training Session Focus: Select one or more topics described below as your department's training focus for the Stand Down week's training session or drill night.
- Full Week of Activities: Do a "weekly plan" where you select one activity from one topic on each day for the entire week from 11/8 (Topic Plan 1) through to 11/14 (Topic Plan 7). Pick the activity in each topic that most closely fits your role in the department.
- One Topic: Commit to completing one activity in one topic some time during the week. Select a topic and activity most relevant to your role in the department.
- By Opportunity: Read the topics and activities and select some according to opportunities in your department. For example, during a shift change or at a group meal, play one of the suggested Roadway Safety Shorts. If you have an officers' meeting, go over SOPs or play a TIM in a Minute from the Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Packages on a procedure of particular interest in your department.
Activities
Leadership:
- Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network programs, "Traffic Incident Management: Model Practices and Procedures," "Recommended Practices for TIM SOPs," and "Traffic Incident Management Requirements in NFPA 1500."
- Review your department's SOPs for roadway response, including high visibility garments and PPE, incident command, scene size-up, setting up a traffic incident management area (TIMA), blocking procedures and safe parking/positioning, emergency lighting deployment, manual traffic control protocols, scene control, move it or work it decision-making, response in Privately Owned Vehicles (POVs), termination, operation in special situations (vehicle fires, HAZMAT, crash investigations, medical helicopter landings), backing up apparatus, and after action reviews.
- Revise any SOPs that are outdated or inconsistent. Model SOPs to help you craft your department's SOPs on some of these topics are available here. and here.
- Review your department's training schedule and incorporate training on revised SOPs or reinforcement of existing SOPs.
- Review NFPA 1500's chapter on Traffic Incident Management to ensure your department is following these best practices even if the standard is not required in your jurisdiction.
Fire Officers:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Roadway Incident Safety Training Guidance for Fire Officers" Encourage your crews to do the same.
Training Officers and Instructors:
- Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network program, "Traffic Incident Management: Training & Resources."
- Teach a lesson from the ResponderSafety.com Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Packages, which provide an overview of all the major components of integrating roadway safety and traffic control into department operations. The lesson plan is available here.
- Discuss a case study from the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program reports where traffic incident management was a contributing factor. Check the contributing factors list for traffic control factors.
Safety Officers:
- Review the Roadway Safety Short "How to Safely Pass an Emergency Scene" during a safety break, roll call, or shift change to reinforce how important traffic control is to signaling motorists what to do when approaching a roadway incident scene.
PIOs and Public Educators:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "Traffic Incident Management: Strategies for Public Outreach"
Frontline Responders:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "Recommended Practices for TIM SOPs"
Activities
Leadership:
- Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network modules "High Visibility Innovations" to see how to make your fire apparatus and emergency vehicles more visible to oncoming traffic and "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices" to understand the requirements for high visibility apparel.
- Consider ways in which your fire apparatus can be retrofitted to be more visible and resolve to work on these modifications this year.
- Review your department's high visibility apparel SOP with all officers and direct them to review it with their crews.
- Review the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices section pertaining to high visibility apparel to ensure you are in compliance, as well as any state MUTCD or state supplement in your state.
- Check your stock of high visibility apparel and order any needed items.
- Verify that all personnel have been issued high visibility apparel and it remains in usable condition
- Order any necessary high visibility apparel
Fire Officers:
- Review the department's SOP for wearing high visibility apparel with your crews.
- Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network videos, "Accepting the Challenge to Be Visible", "Be Right, Be Bright", and "Marked and Seen". Encourage your crews to do the same.
Training Officers and Instructors:
- Teach the lesson from the ResponderSafety.com Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Package "PPE and Emergency Lighting," which provides an overview of high visibility apparel and the use of emergency lighting. The lesson plan is available here.
Safety Officers:
- Play the Roadway Safety Short "How to Select and Maintain High Visibility Apparel" during a safety break, roll call, or shift change to reinforce how important traffic control is to signaling motorists what to do when approaching a roadway incident scene.
PIOs and Public Educators:
- Visit the PIOs & Public Educators page and download video and media relations materials to incorporate into your media relations or public education campaign during National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week.
Frontline Responders:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network program, "High Visibility Innovations."
- Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network videos, "Accepting the Challenge to Be Visible", "Be Right, Be Bright", and "Marked and Seen".
Activities
Leadership:
- Review your department's SOPs for setting up a TIMA with all officers and direct them to review it with their crews.
- Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network program "TIM for the Next Generation" to reinforce the importance of teaching basic traffic control procedures to all new department members.
- Read NFPA 1091 to understand how your personnel must be prepared for traffic control duties.
Fire Officers:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "Intro to Fire Service Traffic Control Professional" to understand the importance and challenge of performing traffic control duties at the roadway incident scene and how to select personnel suitable for this task. Encourage your crews to do the same.
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "The First 15 Minutes at Roadway Incidents" to understand the role of traffic control in initial response. Encourage your crews to do the same.
- Review the Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Package "Setting Up a Traffic Incident Management Area," which provides an overview of the process, then discuss your department's corresponding SOPs with your crews. The lesson plan is available here.
- Speak to leadership if your crews are not yet adequately prepared to set up traffic control at every incident and discuss how to remedy the situation.
Training Officers and Instructors:
- Teach the lesson from the ResponderSafety.com Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Package "Setting Up a Traffic Incident Management Area," which provides an overview of the process. The lesson plan is available here.
Safety Officers:
- Play the TIM in a Minute video, "Setting Up a Traffic Incident Management Area" during a safety break, roll call, or shift change to reinforce the how to properly set up temporary traffic control at a roadway incident scene.
- Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network program, "LODDs on the Roadway: Safety Lessons Learned" to explore the importance of traffic control in maintaining safety at the roadway incident scene. Share at least one of the case studies from this module with your department. Make a list of action items for your department to address any findings from these case studies that correspond to deficiencies in your department's policies, procedures, and training.
PIOs and Public Educators:
- Put out the Slow Down Move over video PSA, Move Over Slow Down Social Media PSA, and Roadway Safety Short "How to Safely Pass an Emergency Scene" to your contacts and on your social media channels.
Frontline Responders:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "Intro to Fire Service Traffic Control Professional" to understand what you need to properly discharge traffic control duties.
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "The First 15 Minutes at Roadway Incidents" to understand the role of traffic control in initial response.
- For EMS providers, take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers" to learn more about how to handle the special challenges faced by EMS when responding to roadway incidents.
Activities
Leadership:
- Review your department's SOPs for advance warning and blocking procedures/safe parking/positioning.
- Compare your SOPs to the procedures recommended in the Responder Safety Learning Network programs "Advance Warning" and "Blocking Procedures at Roadway Incidents." Consider adjusting your SOPs if you identify any gaps.
- Review your department's SOPs for advance warning and blocking procedures/safe parking/positioning with your officers and direct them to review the SOPs with their crews.
Fire Officers:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network modules, "Advance Warning" and "Blocking Procedures at Roadway Incidents." and encourage your crews to do the same.
- Review your department's advance warning and blocking/safe positioning/safe parking SOPs with your crews.
Training Officers and Instructors:
- Teach the following lessons from ResponderSafety.com:
- Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Package "Advance Warning," which provides an overview of how to deploy advance warning at roadway incident scenes.
- Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Package "Blocking," which provides an overview of how to position emergency vehicles in blocking positions at roadway incident scenes.
- The lesson plans are available here.
Safety Officers:
- Play the following Roadway Safety Shorts during a safety break, roll call, or shift change to reinforce the practices they teach::
- "How to Deploy a Portable Advance Warning Sign"
- "How to Set a Block"
- "How to Set a Cone Taper"
- If your department includes EMS, play the "Safe Positioning an Ambulance at Roadway Incidents" Safety Short for your EMS crews.
PIOs and Public Educators:
- Download and distribute the ResponderSafety.com push card to help the public understand how to react to advance warning and blocking vehicles when they encounter them on the roadway. If you need printed copies, order them from [email protected] and list the following: Name, Address and Phone Number of Your agency as well as a contact person. Please advise how and where you intend to use the cards and the number requested.
Frontline Responders:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "Advance Warning"
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "Blocking Procedures at Roadway Incidents."
Activities
Leadership:
- Review your department's SOPs for conducting manual traffic control.
- Compare your SOPs to the procedures recommended in the Responder Safety Learning Network program "Safe Fire Service Traffic Control Practices". Consider adjusting your SOPs if you identify any gaps.
- Review your department's SOPs for conducting manual traffic control with your officers and direct them to review the SOPs with their crews.
- Review your department's training schedule to ensure that you are adequately training department members in manual traffic control who may be assigned this duty.
Fire Officers:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Safe Fire Service Traffic Control Practices" and encourage your crews to do the same.
- Review your department's manual traffic control SOP with your crews.
Training Officers and Instructors:
- Teach the lesson from the ResponderSafety.com Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Package "Manual Traffic Control," which provides recommended practical instruction for manual traffic control. The lesson plan is available here.
Safety Officers:
- Play the TIM in a Minute video "Manual Traffic Control" during a safety break, roll call, or shift change to reinforce how to properly conduct manual traffic control.
PIOs and Public Educators:
- Contact your local or state transportation agency or authority to share the Visitors Center Loop Video from ResponderSafety.com and ask them to consider playing it in rest areas, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, and other public locations.
Frontline Responders:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Safe Fire Service Traffic Control Practices" to learn more about how to conduct manual traffic control.
Activities
Leadership:
- Watch the ResponderSafety.com video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus & Ambulances."
- Review your department's SOPs for backing up emergency vehicles and fire apparatus. Revise if necessary to conform to current recommended practices.
- If you do not have a Backing Up SOP, develop one using the Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus and Ambulances document and the featured video
- Direct the department's officers to review the backing up SOP with their crews.
- Review your department's training schedule and ensure that all personnel receive training in backing up, including training specifically for spotters.
Fire Officers:
- Watch the ResponderSafety.com video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus & Ambulances."
- Review the departments backing up SOP with your crews.
Training Officers and Instructors:
- Conduct a practical training session in backing up procedures as laid out in the department's SOP. The ResponderSafety.com video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus & Ambulances" can serve as a resources to open the training session.
- Teach a case study on a line-of-duty death that occurred in Pennsylvania during backing up. Use this NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program Report to assist you.
Safety Officers:
- Play the Roadway Safety Short "How to Safely Back Up an Emergency Vehicle" during a safety break, roll call, or shift change to reinforce the recommended backing up procedure that must be done every time.
PIOs and Public Educators:
- Send out a media advisory on a roadway safety topic using resources from ResponderSafety.com's PIO & Public Educator Engagement page.
Frontline Responders:
- Watch the ResponderSafety.com video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus & Ambulances."
Activities
Leadership:
- Review your department's SOPs for termination of response at a roadway incident.
- Compare your SOPs to the procedures recommended in the Responder Safety Learning Network program "Termination." Consider adjusting your SOPs if you identify any gaps.
- Review your department's SOPs for termination with your officers and direct them to review the SOPs with their crews.
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module "Fire Service Collaboration with Towing & Recovery Operations." In light of the module, review how your department can improve its relationships with towers in your area, particularly in terms of safety and providing protection.
Fire Officers:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Termination" and encourage your crews to do the same.
- Review your department's termination SOP with your crews.
Training Officers and Instructors:
- Teach the lesson from the ResponderSafety.com Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Package "Termination," which provides recommended practical instruction for manual traffic control. The lesson plan is available here
Safety Officers:
- Play the Roadway Safety Short video "How to Demobilize a TIMA" during a safety break, roll call, or shift change to reinforce how to properly conduct manual traffic control.
PIOs and Public Educators:
- Share at least one of the PSAs from ResponderSafety.Com's Resources for PIOs and Public Educators page on your department's social media channels.
Frontline Responders:
- Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Termination" to learn more about how to properly demobilize a TIMA when response to an roadway incident has concluded.