310.00 REGIONAL Freeway Incident Management.docx

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES SECTION: 300.00 / Regional Operational Procedures Guideline: 310.00 Freeway Incident Management Effective Date: 6/15/05 Revision Date: 1/2023 310.00 FREEWAY INCIDENT MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION The purpose of this directive is to develop a standardized protocol for those pe...

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES SECTION: 300.00 / Regional Operational Procedures Guideline: 310.00 Freeway Incident Management Effective Date: 6/15/05 Revision Date: 1/2023 310.00 FREEWAY INCIDENT MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION The purpose of this directive is to develop a standardized protocol for those personnel responding to and mitigating roadway incidents that impede the normal flow of traffic. Responders must understand and acknowledge the dangers they are exposed to when working in or near moving traffic. POLICY Nothing shall preclude an agency from establishing stricter safety and operating guidelines than those provided in this directive. Unless a particular task has to be performed by a specific service provider (i.e., a police officer making an arrest or an EMS personnel providing medical care), any task may be assigned to any personnel at the scene. DEFINITIONS Advance warning - is the series of notification procedures that advise approaching motorists to transition from normal driving status to that required by the temporary emergency traffic control measures ahead of them. Approaching traffic - is traffic moving toward the incident scene from the same direction of travel. Block - is the positioning of an emergency vehicle on an angle to the traffic lanes in order to create a physical barrier between the upstream traffic and the work area. A block may be to the left or to the right. Buffer zone - is the distance or space between personnel and vehicles in the protected work zone and nearby moving traffic. Downstream - is the direction that traffic is moving as it travels away from the incident scene. Flagger - is the person assigned to monitor upstream traffic that approaches the incident scene and to activate an emergency signal and provide direction to those motorists who do not conform to established traffic control measures that are in place at the incident scene. On-coming traffic - is traffic moving toward the incident scene from the opposite direction of travel. Roadway incident - is an incident or event that causes any impairment to the normal flow of traffic on a roadway. Shadow - is the area that is protected or shielded by a blocking vehicle. Taper - is the action of narrowing or merging several traffic lanes into fewer moving traffic lanes. Temporary work zone - is the physical area of a roadway in which responding personnel—police, fire, EMS, towing, etc.—perform those tasks that are necessary to abate the roadway obstruction. Transition zone - is the roadway area within which approaching motorists change their speed and position in order to comply with traffic control measures that are established at the incident scene. Upstream - is the direction of traffic approaching or moving toward the incident scene. Work zone - shall mean the same as “temporary work zone.” LANE DESIGNATIONS AND ROADWAY TERMS A. Shoulder Is that portion of the highway that is: Adjacent to the roadway; Designed or ordinarily used for parking; Distinguished from the roadway by different design, construction, or marking; and Not intended for normal vehicular travel. The shoulder may be paved or unpaved. The RIGHT shoulder is the shoulder located to driver’s right; the LEFT shoulder is shoulder located to driver’s left. (Figure 1) B. Lane Designations (Figure 1.) Lane 1 - is the lane located immediately adjacent the right shoulder. In the absence of a shoulder, lane 1 shall be the right-hand most lane in the driver’s direction. Lane 2 - is the lane immediately to the left of lane 1. Lane 3 - is the lane immediately to the left of lane 2. All subsequent lanes will be numbered sequentially. Figure 1 Lane Designations C. Ramps Bypass ramp - a portion of roadway that connects two intersecting streets at a point near the intersection. (Figure 2) Figure 2 Bypass Ramp Entry ramp - is the ramp that allows a vehicle to enter a controlled access highway from another roadway such as a service road. (Figure 3) Exit ramp - is the ramp that allows vehicles to leave a controlled access highway in order to get on to another roadway, such as a service road. (Figure 3) Figure 3 ENTRANCE and EXIT Ramps Service or Frontage Road A non-access-controlled roadway that normally runs parallel to a controlled access highway. Service or frontage roads are connected with controlled access highways with entry and exit ramps. SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS Responding personnel are at great risk of serious injury or death when working in or near moving traffic. Some of the risks are exacerbated or created by the personnel at the scene. Practicing the following precautions—some of which are discussed in more detail later— will help minimize the risks: Never trust approaching traffic. You have limited control over their physical and mental abilities to safely navigate through the work zone. Avoid turning your back on traffic. Establish a block with the first responding vehicle to protect the site and to redirect traffic around the scene. Always wear full protective clothing, including a Class II high visibility vest or similar attire and protective headgear whenever working on or in close proximity to a roadway. Turn off sources of vision-impairing lights toward the approaching traffic, including headlights and emergency lights. Oftentimes, these lights blind motorists and cause unnecessary confusion. (See “Emergency Vehicle Lighting Policy and Discipline” section.) Establish advance warning and adequate transition area traffic control measures upstream in order to reduce travel speeds approaching the scene and to prepare approaching motorists for detours that are ahead. Use traffic cones and/or flares to control traffic flow and direction. Designate a flagger as soon as possible. QUICK CLEARANCE POLICY Focus should be on the safety of responders, victims, and other motorists to reduce the risks of secondary incidents. Any vehicle that can be moved should be moved off of the roadway. Any responder vehicle equipped with push bumpers can be used to push wrecked vehicles out of the roadway. If a vehicle equipped with a push bumper can not remove the vehicle from the roadway, the responding tow truck should pull or drag the vehicle off of the roadway to an off-site location before securing the vehicle for tow. Personnel should not wait until everyone has completed their tasks before clearing the scene. Clear the scene of whatever whenever the opportunity arises. Whenever possible, first responders should call for wreckers immediately upon arrival in order to expedite response and clearance. Responders should collect only that information that is necessary, at the scene. Other non-critical information should be collected later, away from the scene. Any vehicle containing a deceased person may be moved to an off-site location after crime scene processing if unnecessary or unreasonable delays will be caused by waiting for the medical examiner’s or coroner’s response. Article 49.25, Section 8, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure: “When any death under circumstances set out in Section 6 shall have occurred, the body shall not be disturbed or removed from the position in which it is found..., except for the purpose of preserving such body from loss or destruction or maintaining the flow of traffic on a highway, railroad, or airport.” ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Roles and responsibilities are not always clearly defined and may vary from incident to incident. The following are merely guidelines for first responders and incident commanders to consider. Police Assist in incident detection if first responder; Secure the scene; Arrange for removal of disabled vehicles; Traffic control; Conduct accident investigation; Protect personal property; Coordinate scene clearance. Fire/EMS Assist in incident detection if first responder; Protect the incident; Provide traffic control until law enforcement units arrive; Provide emergency care and transportation of injured; Conduct rescue operations; Coordinate and/or perform hazmat cleanup; Assist with scene clearance. INCIDENT COMMAND A unified command structure will oversee and manage a roadway incident when more than one discipline is required to response to the incident. The guiding principle will be: Not who is in charge, but who is in charge of what. The unified command structure provides a management structure to facilitate cooperative participation by representatives from varying agencies, jurisdictions, and disciplines. The first responder will always be the initial incident commander. The first responder will relinquish the incident commander role to the responder’s supervisor upon the supervisor’s arrival at the incident scene. The supervisor will relinquish the incident command role to the incident command team once it is established. The incident commander shall serve as the liaison for other responder units. At each point the incident command is relinquished to another person, the person relinquishing the command will notify dispatch that the incident command is being turned over to a new incident commander, and will identify the new incident command. The incident command will be shared by representatives of each agency responding to the roadway incident. The representative assigned should have substantial decision-making authority. When other responders arrive at the scene, the incident commander is the commander of the agency that has the priority mission at the time. As the priority changes, the incident command will change accordingly. The incident commanders should stay together as a group throughout the incident in order to make effective and timely decisions and communications. The command post should be established in close proximity to and within the view of the incident scene. INCIDENT TYPES Minor Traffic Incidents Minor traffic incidents are typically disabled vehicles and minor crashes that result in lane closures of less than 30 minutes. On-scene responders are typically law enforcement and towing companies, and occasionally highway agency service patrol vehicles. Diversion of traffic into other lanes is often not needed or is needed only briefly. It is not generally possible or practical to set up a lane closure with traffic control devices for a minor traffic incident. Traffic control is the responsibility of on-scene responders. Intermediate Traffic Incidents Intermediate traffic incidents typically affect travel lanes for a time period of 30 minutes to 2 hours, and usually require traffic control on the scene to divert road users past the blockage. Full roadway closures might be needed for short periods during traffic incident clearance to allow traffic incident responders to accomplish their tasks. The establishment, maintenance, and prompt removal of lane diversions can be effectively managed by inter-agency planning that includes representatives of highway and public safety agencies. Attention should be paid to the end of the traffic queue such that warning is given to road users approaching the end of the queue. If manual traffic control is needed, it should be provided by qualified flaggers or uniformed law enforcement officers. Major Traffic Incidents Major traffic incidents are typically traffic incidents involving hazardous materials, fatal traffic crashes involving numerous vehicles, and other natural or man-made disasters. These traffic incidents typically involve closing all or part of a roadway facility for a period exceeding 2 hours. A combination of traffic engineering and enforcement preparations is needed to determine the detour route, and to install, maintain or operate, and then to remove the necessary traffic control devices when the detour is terminated. Large trucks are a significant concern in such a detour, especially when detouring them from a controlled-access roadway onto local or arterial streets. During traffic incidents, large trucks might need to follow a route separate from that of automobiles because of bridge, weight, clearance, or geometric restrictions. Also, vehicles carrying hazardous material might need to follow a different route from other vehicles. RESPONSE Unless otherwise advised, responding personnel shall utilize emergency lights and sirens. Regardless of the severity of the incident, responding personnel shall exercise due care and caution in order to minimize the risk of injury to anyone and to maximize response efficiency. No responder will enter an intersection on a red signal unless the responder is reasonably certain it is safe do so. If necessary, the responding unit will be brought to a stop before proceeding. No responder will traverse a roadway or ramp in the opposite direction within the incident scene unless instructed to do so by an incident commander and the roadway or ramp has been closed and the maneuver is safe to perform. The fire department will send two engines to any traffic incident on the highway. One engine will be used for operations while the second engine is used for blocking. Upon the first engine’s arrival, fire personnel will determine the need for the second engine. If it is determined an operation is not necessary, the second due engine will clear. AT-SCENE The first vehicle on scene should establish a block, in accordance with the section on “Block,” below, in order to provide a protected work area from traffic approaching from at least one direction. As additional units arrive, the block may be established by another vehicle and moved farther upstream. After the first responding unit has set the block, the responder shall immediately assess the scene (see “Assessing Scene” section) and assume the incident commander role until relieved. (See “Incident Command” section.) The responding units should be positioned in a manner that provides for the safest work zone. (See “Work Zone” section) Unless otherwise directed by the incident commander, all responding units shall park at the scene on the same side of the roadway. Parking on the opposite side of the road of where the incident is located should not be allowed. (Figure 4) Figure 4 Emergency and other responding vehicles should not park on opposite roadway BLOCK When arriving at the scene, the block vehicle should be parked a sufficient distance behind the incident to create a buffer in the event the block is struck from behind by another vehicle. The blocking vehicle should be angled either left or right, depending on desired traffic flow. The angle of the block is usually in the direction of the desired traffic flow direction. When communicating the desired block angle, the responder should state, “Block left” or “block right.” (Figure 5.) Subsequent blocks should be set behind the initial blocking vehicle, plus one additional lane to the left or right, depending on the block direction. Figure 5 Blocking left and blocking right positions ASSESSING SCENE After setting the appropriate block, the first responding unit should immediately assess the scene and the need for additional units. Within 15 minutes of arrival on-scene, responders shall estimate the magnitude of the traffic incident, the expected time duration of the traffic incident, and the expected vehicle queue length, and then should set up the appropriate temporary traffic controls for these estimates. If additional traffic control measures are needed, the incident commander will coordinate the response and deployment of the assisting units. Only the needed amount of units and apparatus should respond. Any unnecessary clutter of equipment or personnel will only increase the likelihood of a collateral event and decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of the incident management process. Scene control should be an early priority in order to minimize subsequent hazards while protecting the scene. APPARATUS PARKING AND PLACEMENT Apparatus and Emergency Vehicle Benchmarks Listed below are benchmarks for safe parking of apparatus and emergency vehicles when operating in or near moving traffic. All major apparatus should be in a blocking position as crew members exit the vehicle. One side of the vehicle will be facing approaching upstream traffic with the opposite side facing downstream into a protected area. Position first-arriving apparatus in a manner that protects the scene, patients, and emergency personnel. Initial apparatus placement should provide a work area protected from traffic approaching in at least one direction. Angle apparatus on the roadway to create a block in accordance with the “Block” section. When practical, position apparatus in a manner that protects the pump operator from being exposed to approaching traffic. Positioning of large apparatus must create a safe parking area for EMS units and other fire department vehicles. Ambulances shall be parked ahead of the scene in a blocking position. The loading zone shall face away from the approaching traffic. The ambulance (and its loading zone) depicted in Figure 6 is parked too close to the adjacent traffic lane. Figure 6 Ambulance and its loading zone faced away from traffic EMERGENCY VEHICLE LIGHTING POLICY AND DISCIPLINE The use of emergency-vehicle lighting (such as high-intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe lights) is essential, especially in the initial stages of a traffic incident, for the safety of emergency responders and persons involved in the traffic incident, as well as road users approaching the traffic incident. Emergency-vehicle lighting, however, provides warning only and provides no effective traffic control. It is often confusing to road users, especially at night. Road users approaching the traffic incident from the opposite direction on a divided facility are often distracted by emergency-vehicle lighting and slow their vehicles to look at the traffic incident posing a hazard to themselves and others traveling in their direction. The use of emergency-vehicle lighting should be reduced if good traffic control has been established at a traffic incident scene. This is especially true for major traffic incidents that might involve a number of emergency vehicles. If good traffic control is established through placement of advanced warning signs and traffic control devices to divert or detour traffic, then public safety agencies can perform their tasks on scene with minimal emergency-vehicle lighting. Once at the scene, all forward-facing emergency lights should be extinguished to reduce the probability of distracting motorists approaching from the opposite direction. Except for the rear-most warning vehicle, rear-facing emergency lights should be extinguished to minimize distraction to motorists approaching from upstream. When practical, headlamps should be dimmed or extinguished, particularly when the beam is directed toward motorists approaching from the opposite direction. EQUIPMENT STAGING Staging of equipment must be coordinated by the incident commander. The staging area should be close to but dislocated from the scene. The staging area should not impede traffic flow. The need for time-sensitive equipment should anticipated and be summoned first. Units responding to a staging area will respond without emergency lights and siren, unless directed to do so by the incident commander. WORK ZONE The “work zone,” also known as the “traffic zone,” has five components: (Figure 13 and Figure 14.) Advanced warning area Transition area Activity Area Work space Traffic space Buffer space Termination Advance Warning Area The advance warning area is the section of highway where road users are informed about the upcoming work zone or incident area and preparations should be made to modify normal driving; it is the rear-most portion of the work zone. The advance warning area may vary from a single sign or rotating/strobe lights on a vehicle to a series of signs in advance of the temporary traffic control zone activity area. Typical distances for placement of advance warning signs on freeways and expressways should be longer because drivers are conditioned to uninterrupted flow. Therefore, the advance warning sign placement should be at least one-half mile prior to the transition area. The distance should be farther during inclement weather or when exits are available farther upstream. The distance may need to be shorter because of the road size and design. On urban streets, the effective placement of the first warning sign should range from 4 to 8 times the speed limit in mph, with the high end of the range being used when speeds are relatively high. When a single advance warning sign is used (in cases such as low-speed residential streets), the advance warning area can be as short as 100 feet for a posted speed of 25 m.p.h. When two or more advance warning signs are used on higher-speed streets, such as major arterials, the advance warning area should extend a greater distance. When appropriate, emergency responders may also deploy traffic cones, flares, or other devices to warn approaching traffic and direct them into a merging taper around the incident scene. Transition Area The transition area is that section of highway where road users are redirected out of their normal path; it is the area where normal lane usage begins to change. Transition areas usually involve strategic use of tapers The transition area should begin a distance (in feet) that is about eight times the posted speed limit. The distance should be increased during inclement weather. Activity Area The activity area is the section of the highway where the work activity takes place. It is comprised of the work space, the traffic space, and the buffer space. Work space - is that portion of the highway closed to road users and set aside for workers, equipment, and material, and a shadow vehicle if one is used upstream. Work spaces are usually delineated for road users by channelizing devices or, to exclude vehicles and pedestrians, by temporary barriers. Traffic space - is the portion of the highway in which road users are routed through the activity area. Buffer space - is a lateral and/or longitudinal area that separates road user flow from the work space or an unsafe area, and might provide some recovery space for an errant vehicle. Neither work activity nor storage of equipment, vehicles, or material should occur within a buffer space. Buffer spaces may be positioned either longitudinally or laterally with respect to the direction of road user flow. The activity area may contain one or more lateral or longitudinal buffer spaces. A longitudinal buffer space may be placed in advance of a work space. Buffer spaces may be expanded longitudinally or laterally to accommodate traffic, road, and speed conditions. Termination Area The termination area shall be used to return road users to their normal path. The termination area shall extend from the downstream end of the work area to the last TTC device, if posted. The termination area shall be adequately marked with traffic cones or other device to prevent premature lane entry by passing motorists. Tapers Tapers may be used in both the transition and termination areas. Whenever tapers are to be used in close proximity to an interchange ramp, crossroads, curves, or other influencing factors, the length of the tapers may be adjusted. (Figure 14.) Longer tapers are not necessarily better than shorter tapers (particularly in urban areas with characteristics such as short block lengths or driveways) because extended tapers tend to encourage sluggish operation and to encourage drivers to delay lane changes unnecessarily. The test concerning adequate lengths of tapers involves observation of driver performance after TTC plans are put into effect. The maximum distance in feet between devices in a taper should not exceed 1.0 times the speed limit in mph. TRAFFIC CONTROL Traffic incidents can be divided into three general classes of duration, each of which has unique traffic control characteristics and needs. These classes are: Major—expected duration of more than 2 hours; Intermediate—expected duration of 30 minutes to 2 hours; and Minor—expected duration under 30 minutes. The primary functions of temporary traffic control (TTC) at a traffic incident management area are to move road users reasonably safely and expeditiously past or around the traffic incident, to reduce the likelihood of secondary traffic crashes, and to preclude unnecessary use of the surrounding local road system. Examples of a traffic incident include a stalled vehicle blocking a lane, a traffic crash blocking the traveled way, a hazardous material spill along a highway, and natural disasters such as floods and severe storm damage. A temporary traffic control plan describes temporary traffic control measures to be used for facilitating road users through a work zone. Temporary traffic control plans play a vital role in providing continuity of safe and efficient road user flow when a work zone, incident, or other event temporarily disrupts normal road user flow. Important auxiliary provisions that cannot conveniently be specified on project plans can easily be incorporated into special provisions within the temporary traffic control plan. The police department will generally be responsible for the traffic control function, including establishing the work zone. (See “Work Zone” section) As many lanes that can be kept open should be kept open to allow traffic flow on the roadway and to minimize traffic impacts on alternate roadways. If the roadway will be closed for at least two hours, the incident commander should ask TxDOT to set up a message and arrow board at the advance warning area. All temporary traffic control devices shall be removed as soon as practical when they are no longer needed. When work is suspended for short periods of time, temporary traffic control devices that are no longer appropriate shall be removed or covered. When a flagger is used to direct traffic, the flagger will be positioned ahead of the work zone in accordance to the speed-distance chart in Figure 8. Figure 8 Distances for spotter placement ahead of work zone Whenever an air ambulance makes a highway landing, all lanes of travel in both directions shall be closed for the landing and takeoff only. A longitudinal buffer space of 100 yards from the landing point in both the upstream and downstream directions should be established for the landing and takeoff. (Figure 9.) Once the aircraft has landed or taken off, the original work zone space will be reestablished. Figure 9 100-yard buffer space for air ambulance landing and takeoff TRAFFIC CONTROL AND ADVANCE WARNING DEVICES Traffic Cones Traffic cones can be used to delineate the traffic zone. During nighttime and high-speed roads, 28" fluorescent orange cones with two reflective bands should be used. (Figure 10) For daytime and low-speed roadway, fluorescent orange or green cones with a minimum height of 18 inches, without reflective striping, may be used. However, to maximize visibility, taller cones should be used if available. (Figure 10) Warning lights are optional and may be attached to the top of the traffic cones. Figure 10 Traffic cones for nighttime, high-speed, daytime, and low speed conditions. Variable Message Boards Variable message boards have a wide variety of applications in temporary traffic control zones including: roadway, lane, or ramp closures, crash or emergency incident management, width restriction information, speed reductions, road user management and diversion, warning of adverse conditions, and operation control. When portable message boards are used for route diversion, they should be placed far enough in advance of the diversion to allow road users ample opportunity to exit the affected highway. Portable message boards should be placed on the shoulder of the roadway or, if practical, furthest from the traveled lane. Fixed variable message boards that are to be used when the incident is expected to impact traffic for over an hour. To utilize the fixed variable message boards, contact TxDOT at 972-789-1905 (Dallas county) or 817-370-6656 (Tarrant county) Screens Screens are used to block the road users’ view of activities that can be distracting. Screens might improve safety and motor vehicle traffic flow where volumes approach the roadway capacity because they discourage gawking and reduce headlight glare from oncoming motor vehicle traffic. SAFETY CLOTHING ANSI has three classes of safety vests: Class 1 - has open sides and the least amount of reflective material. Class 2 - has more body coverage and more reflective material than a Class I vest. Class 3 - has the most body coverage and most reflective material. A class 3 vest has a contrasting color behind the reflective marking. Where possible, a Class III vest should be used by all responders. Fire personnel wearing full protective bunker gear with class 3 equivalent protection are exempt form wearing the class 3 vest. Preference should be given to vests that have break-away capability in the event the vest gets caught on a passing vehicle. For daytime work, the flagger's vest, shirt, or jacket shall be orange, yellow, yellow-green, or a fluorescent version of these colors. For nighttime work, similar outside garments shall be retro-reflective. The retro-reflective material shall be orange, yellow, white, silver, yellow-green, or a fluorescent version of these colors, and shall be visible at a minimum distance of 1,000 ft. The retro-reflective clothing shall be designed to clearly identify the wearer as a person. Figure 13. Typical traffic zone that can be used for any highway incident Figure 14. Taper and buffer spaces for shifting lanes Figure 15 Example of work and traffic control zone References: Texas Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices United States Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Traffic Incident Management Handbook, (PB Farradyne, November 2000) Traffic Incident Management: Operational Issues. O’Laughlin, John and Smith, Arland T. (PB Farradyne) Freeway Incident Management in Dallas-Forth Area, “First Responder and Manager Course Student Manual.” (Prepared for North Central Texas Council of Governments by PB Farradyne.) “Roadway Incident Safety,” (Duncanville, Texas, Fire Department Standard Operating Guidelines.) “Safe Positioning While Operating In or Near Moving Traffic,” (Plano, Texas, Fire Department Standard Operating Procedure.) “University of Extrication Safe Parking - Part 4: Personal Survival Skills,” Moore, Ron (Firehouse Magazine) at www.respondersafety.com