New Traffic Incident Management Person Certification Now Available

Visit the TIM Person Professional Certification page for Training and Test Prep.

The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI and the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) are pleased to announce that the Certified Traffic Incident Management Person professional credential, which is the first accredited national certification for personnel meeting NFPA 1091: Standard for Traffic Incident Management Personnel Professional Qualifications, is now available. All roadway incident response personnel who are tasked with traffic control at an emergency scene on the roadway will want to earn this certification to demonstrate that they have obtained the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to properly discharge duties like positioning blocking vehicles, setting up a traffic incident management area, deploying and removing temporary traffic control devices, and conducting manual traffic control.

The FDSOA administers the certification and the qualifying test. ERSI supports the certification with the training and preparation tools necessary to pass the certification test. Training, including the required National TIM Training Certificate, is available at RSLN.org/TIMCertificate. A Test Prep Exam Workbook & Study Guide is available here. Completing the training and test preparation before taking the exam is the best way to ensure you are ready to sit for the test and have the best chance of success.

"The Certified Traffic Incident Management Person professional credential is a natural outgrowth of our partnership with the Emergency Responder Safety Institute because we are both committed to eliminating struck-by incidents on the roadway," said Chief Rich Marinucci, Executive Director of FDSOA. "Local fire departments in the United States respond to over 4 million incidents every year on roadway properties. Traffic control provides us a key measure of safety when we are working these calls by alerting and diverting the public. Our personnel have to be trained in how to set up, maintain, and break down that traffic control if we are going to get to our goal of zero struck-by incidents. Earning this professional certification is an important way to demonstrate you know how to do that."

To earn the Certified TIM Person credential, applicants must first earn the National TIM Training Certificate and then must complete nine skill sheets and pass a certification exam that tests to the NFPA 1091 standard. The National TIM Training Certificate can be earned online from the Responder Safety Learning Network, online from the Federal Highway Administration, or at an in-person federal- or state-recognized National TIM Training class. Once an applicant has earned the National TIM Training Certificate, they must apply for the TIM Person certification using the form on the FDSOA web site and provide proof of holding the National TIM Certificate and completing the skill sheets. The applicant will then be scheduled to take the exam. If the applicant passes the test, they will be notified that they have earned the certification and provided with proof of certification.

This certification, administered by the FDSOA, is third-party accredited by The National Board of Fire Service Professional Qualifications ("The Pro Board"). That accreditation is your assurance that the certification exam tests to the NFPA 1091 standard. Emergency responders who complete this Certified Traffic Incident Management Person credential will be listed in the National Registry maintained by The Pro Board.

ERSI and the FDSOA have developed a detailed Traffic Incident Management Personnel Professional Certification Test Prep Exam Workbook & Study Guide to help prepare emergency responders to take the certification exam. This guide includes exercises and sample questions that will develop your knowledge, skills, and abilities so you can fulfill NFPA 1091's requirements. Completing this workbook is an important part of your certification exam preparation.

To successfully pass the exam and earn the certification, you should prepare using following training:

• Earn the National TIM Training Certificateonline from the Responder Safety Learning Network or the National Highway Institute, or at an in-person class from the Federal Highway Administration or your state. This is required for the certification. You are encouraged to take additional RSLN modules to further your knowledge, skills, and abilities in responder safety and traffic incident management.
• Read the following important standards and documents related to traffic incident management:
  • NFPA 1091
  • Chapter 6i of the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and your state's supplement (if there is one) or your state's equivalent MUTCD
  • Chapter 9: Traffic Incident Management of NFPA 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program
  • Hardening Blocking Vehicles for Traffic Incidents and Planned Special Events from the Emergency Responder Safety Institute.
  • Study of Protecting Emergency Responders on the Highways and Operation of Emergency Vehicles. Emergency Responder Safety Institute.
  • The Past, Present, and Future of Responder Safety at Roadway Incidents from the Emergency Responder Safety Institute.
• Register on the Responder Safety Learning Network and complete some modules that are not covered by the National TIM Program, such as "LODDs on the Roadway: Safety Lessons Learned," "Scene Control," or "The First 15 Minutes at Roadway Incidents." The choice of modules is up to you, you are simply advised to complete as many as you can and to prioritize modules that address gaps in your training and are appropriate for your department's work.
• Complete the Certified Traffic Incident Management Person Test Prep Exam Workbook & Study Guide.

Once you have completed your preparation and are ready to take the exam, visit the FDSOA web site to apply for the certification and be scheduled to sit for the exam. Full information on the process to earn the certificate is available at fdsoa.org/tim.

About the Emergency Responder Safety Institute The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI), a Committee of the 118-year-old Cumberland Valley Volunteer Fireman's Association, is an advisory group of public safety leaders and transportation experts committed to reducing deaths and injuries to America's emergency responders while working on the roadways helping others. ERSI engages in and promotes activities that include developing educational material to support responder safety training; promoting the National Unified Goal (NUG) for Traffic Incident Management (TIM) including responder safety; safe, quick clearance and interoperable communications; encouraging the development of TIM Teams, promoting collaboration, communication and cooperation among the nation's emergency responders and keeping emergency responders up to date on national rules, regulations and trends related to safe roadway incident operations.

About the Fire Department Safety Officers Association The Fire Department Safety Officers Association was established in 1989 as a non-profit Association, incorporated in Massachusetts. In 2013, the offices moved to Michigan. Its mission is to promote safety standards and practices in the fire, rescue and emergency services community. The Association is led by a volunteer Board of Directors and has a small staff to handle the day to day operations. It is the Association dedicated to the issues that affect your critical role as Safety Officer in protecting and promoting the safety and health responsibilities you have to your department, your community and yourself. In fact, so critical is the role of the Safety Officer in every department in the country, that in a very short time in order to be a qualified Safety Officer, certification may be required. FDSOA works to help you achieve proficiency, promote the recognition of your skills and secure your future.