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Training To Clear the Highway Quickly
Ohio is considered a leader among 20 states deploying the federal training program
Emergency responders train during a mock crash in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio is using a federal program to train thousands of responders to clear highway crash scenes more safely and efficiently. AP Photo/Ohio State Highway Patrol, Glenn T Koslowsky Jr.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio is using a federal program to teach thousands of police, firefighters, tow-truck operators and other emergency responders to clear highway crash scenes more safely and efficiently.
The Federal Highway Administration trained instructors in the state who are now teaching others — including law enforcement, transportation workers and coroners — to improve how they work together at crash scenes and to get wrecked or disabled vehicles out of the way faster. The traffic incident management training is intended to decrease the time drivers spend sitting in bottlenecked traffic and the potential that a situation escalates with secondary crashes and injuries to responders or travelers.
Good decision or will it eventually hamper highway scene safety?
How much training have you done with other departments (EMS, police, state highway) on scene safety at an MVA?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
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As a department we do not train with other agencies on highway incidents, but we do train on roadway incidents ourselves. We also do after action reports following major accidents.
A good resource for training materials and resource materials is
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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The priority for Fire and EMS should be making sure the scene is safe for responders to operate at. That means we need to close lanes, close roads, stop traffic. Patrol officers usually are focused on how quickly they can get the road open because they have to deal with the traffic backup, diversions and detours. In my opinion if we are focusing on how quickly we can get the road open, we may lose focus on assuring the safety of fire rescue personnel during the minor fender benders. I find it funny that patrol officers will push to move fire-rescue to clear a scene as quick as possible, but when a serious crash occurs, the accident reconstruction team will close a road for 6-8 hours to do the investigation..... hmmm never seen cars driving through their scene or around them operating.
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Permalink Reply by Bob Hoscheid on
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FETC,
I couldn't have said it better myself! Has anyone thought of how this might impact patient care? I think it may have personnel thinking of how fast to get the scene cleared and start taking short-cuts with care, safety, etc. Just my 2 cents...
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Permalink Reply by Jim Conrad on
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We recently sat through the new course at my dept. It was taught by the Montana Highway Patrol and the State Fire Service Training School. They said it was the new federal course. We never have much luck closing down the hiway in our area. The only one who has the authority to do so is the Dept. Of Transportation. I can see the benefit of speedy extrication and debris removal though. The longer we are out there the longer we have a target painted on our backs. Stopping traffic is safer for us on the scene but of course secondary collisions start to become more of a problem. Distracted drivers are deadly even if the road is closed. I am in the "get the hell out of this death trap as soon as possible" camp. We have started training with EMS, Law, and to a lesser extent towing. We have also done visibility studies at night with different combinations of apparatus lighting, placement, and traffic control personnel. We have tested different flares and lighted batons as well. We lost our Under Sheriff a couple of years ago to a distracted driver on a scene so the new Federal course was tested in our dept. first.
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Permalink Reply by 55 TRUCK on
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Leave it to a bunch of pencil necked paper pushing wanta bes'. To try and fix something that isn't broke.
Cops no zip about extrication. Hell there are fire depts. that know zip about it!
My job is to take care of the patient. Not to care how long Mr. Yuppy Doo Da, has been sitting in traffic.
When you start to rush and worry about getting traffic started instead of the job at hand. People get hurt, firemen & the people we are suppose to be helping.
I have a suggestion concerning this program. Tell who ever though this up to take it and stick it BEEEEP! & BEEEP! further more, BEEEP!
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