Greetings to members of the NOCoE:

The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA), Traffic Incident & Events Management (TI&EM) Team Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) National Traffic Incident Management (TIM) is proud to announce that the training program is fast approaching its 200,000 responders trained.  We should hit the 200,000 responders trained the week of August 8, 2016.  There is no doubt, that this a great accomplishment and that it came about thanks to the hard work and dedication hundreds of leaders and trainers from all 50 States, DC & PR who believe in the training and its benefits to society. 

Many doubted it could be done but with persistence comes success.  We still have many, over a million more to be exact, responders to be trained but I have no doubt we’ll reach the goal.  States are now taking the lead away from FHWA and working with their stakeholders to mainstream the training within organizations. 

The program has the support of all the major public safety and other TIM responder associations and the training is beginning to be institutionalized at Police and Fire/EMS academies and technical colleges.  The towing and public works community is fully committed to the training and various state responder agencies have set forth Senate Bills and Resolutions mandating their state responders to take TIM training.  Most states are consistently training every week /month while a hand-full of states are struggling to reach self- identified goals. 

Our team is committed to support states with additional Train-the-Trainer sessions through 2017 and will be conducting SHRP2 Workshops to further support them.  As transportation operations professionals, I ask you to get involved with the TIM training in your state if you haven't already.  The barriers of full leadership buy-in and support, budget cuts and institutional obstacles will always be there but working in teams can make all the difference.  The TI&EM Team Leader Kim Vasconez, along with Paul Jodoin, Laurie Radow, Joey Sagal (Technical Services Team) Stephanie Arhin and Tim Taylor (Fire Service Liaison) have been instrumental to the success of the SHRP2 TIM Training Program. 

Kim, Paul, Laurie and Joey are involved with several other projects involving the broader TIM program, integration of technology, planning (MTPs, TIM plans, SHSP), Performance Measurement, knowledge sharing.  Making the business case with solid performance metrics and measures is slowly gaining momentum and the NOCoE can certainly make a positive impact here.  We need you, the traffic and civil engineers of the USA, to build and maintain our nation’s roadways.  And just as important, is strong and innovative ITS/TIM programs that working with well-trained Law Enforcement , Fire/Rescue, EMS, Towing & Recovery, DOT/PW’s stakeholders ensure that responders always make it home and a more reliable transportation system . 

Always an honor and be safe!        

Jim Austrich,

FHWA SHRP2 TIM Responder Training Program Mgr.