Flanked by emergency responders from across the region--Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao celebrated National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week with a big announcement.
“This month marks an impressive milestone, 300,000 first responders nationwide have completed TIM training.”
This was a major step forward for the Federal Highway Administration’s “Traffic Incident Management” or (TIM) training program but Chao said much more work to be done.
“One of the leading causes of death and injury for emergency responders is unbelievably, being struck by vehicles while they are trying to help and work alongside highways. That is unacceptable.”
In Maryland alone, 38 state troopers were struck by vehicles while working along our roads last year. That averages to a trooper struck every ten days.
“Hey get that crash on southbound country club—southbound Guadalupe!”
TIM Training kicks in when a crash occurs. State DOT personnel at traffic operations centers, and on road crews --are trained to work together with law enforcement--firefighters, emergency medical crews and tow truck personnel
before, during and after the crash. Each team member trained on a common set of practices to improve communications, speed response times and decrease the time it takes to clear an accident scene. Virginia Transportation Secretary Charles Kilpatrick said 20-thousand first responders had been trained in his state so far.
“One of the most important aspects of this training is it is not isolated by different types of responders. The responders come together whether they are towers, fire and rescue, law enforcement or state highway crews and take that training together.
They meet each other, they learn about each other’s responsibilities and roles and we frankly grow and are stronger in our incident response. “
Faster response times can mean the difference between life and death for those injured in a crash.
Dia Gainor executive director of the national association of State EMS officials says drivers need to remember to get out of the way when emergency vehicles approach from behind or are parked on the side of the road.
“NHTSA data analyzed of over the last 20 years estimates that on average there are 4,000 crashes per year involving an ambulance. An ambulance is the last vehicle that should ever crash.”
Joseph Sagal leads the TIM Training program for the Maryland State Highway Administration.
He says all first responders need to get TIM Training no matter where they are.
“There are still more agencies and responders that have not yet fully embraced these training concepts and institutionalized the training.
I am confident that we can get there. It will be important to do so for the safety of all of our responders and I challenge all of our caring and responsible leaders in traffic incident management out there to get on board. “
Then at the end of the ceremony—in a symbolic gesture of support Secretary Chao and all of the speakers at this event signed a proclamation declaring their commitment to saving the lives of first responders and everyone on the nation’s roadways.
To learn more about this important training go to www.FHWA.DOT.GOV and keyword search T.I.M.