Emergency Responders Collaborate To Learn Safety

From CDOT:The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol, Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will kick-off the state’s first Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Conference next week, providing a forum for first responders to share ideas and best practices.

TIM is a planned and coordinated multi-disciplinary process to detect, respond to, and clear incidents so that traffic flow may be restored as safely and quickly as possible. Effective TIM reduces the duration and impacts of traffic incidents and improves safety for motorists, crash victims and emergency responders.

“Helping to ensure the safety of everyone who’s traveling or working on our highways is our primary objective. By bringing all of our first responders together to discuss their best practices, it provides another way of enhancing that goal,” said Shailen Bhatt, CDOT executive director. “Direct peer-to-peer conversations have proved to be a vital communications tool when everyone needs to be working together to maximize safety and minimize traffic impacts.”

The one day conference is being held at the Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center, 15500 E. 40th Ave., on Monday, November 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. First responders from around the state will hear from a variety of TIM personnel on how best to collaborate, communicate and prepare for adverse traffic events.

“If people recall the tanker fire that shutdown I-25 in the Tech Center back on May 31, it created a massive traffic impact,” added Bhatt. “It was excellent Traffic Incident Management that allowed us to keep the traveling public safe and reopen a heavily-damaged highway by the next morning. When everyone’s pulling in the same direction, it helps minimizes the duration of a major closure.”

Approximately 150 participants are expected at Monday’s conference.

Image Via Pixabay