Training of Traffic Incident Responders

The primary goal of Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 2) reliability research is to improve the reliability of highway travel times by reducing the frequency and effects of events that cause travel times to fluctuate unpredictably. Seven potential sources of unreliable travel times—that is, events that cause variable travel times—have been identified: traffic incidents, work zones, demand fluctuations, special events, traffic control devices, weather, and inadequate base capacity. Traffic incidents alone are a major cause of delay. This report presents the results of a project that developed a training program for traffic incident responders and managers. The training program described in this report contains two components: training of trainers and incident responder training. The course material provides extensive training on the core competencies for interdisciplinary traffic incident response. It is designed to help responders understand and implement the national unified goal for traffic incident management: responder safety; safe, quick clearance; and prompt, reliable, and interoperable communications. The training methods include a variety of adult-learning techniques, including interactive seminar, case study analysis, tabletop role-play and scenario, and field practicum. The training was developed for delivery through a 2-day intensive format or a modular (single lesson per session) format. The train-the-trainer curriculum is designed to facilitate cost-effective cultivation of qualified trainers across the country. Core multidisciplinary competencies were identified with input from a group of experts in traffic incident management. These competencies provided a framework from which the curriculum was built and design documents created. After development of the course materials, formative evaluation was conducted by holding two pilot training sessions, and the input from participants was incorporated into the final materials. This report is intended to help transportation agencies move forward in addressing nonrecurring traffic congestion and delivering more reliable travel times on their highway networks.