EMS Provider Safety at Roadway Incidents

Prepared for the EMS Leadership Summit

ResponderSafety.com and The Responder Safety Learning Network (RSLN) promote recommended responder safety and traffic incident management (TIM) practices that improve the safety of emergency responders, including EMS providers, when they are working scenes on the roadway or traversing the roadway to access a scene. We understand and affirm that EMS providers face particular challenges when delivering patient care at roadway incidents. We have prepared resources to teach recommended safety practices that can improve the safety of EMS providers when positioning ambulances, operating on foot, delivering patient care, loading patients, and departing the scene.

Overview of Roadway Incident Safety Practices

• Roadway Incident Safety for Emergency Responders — Quick Start Resource: An overview of what to do to protect emergency personnel operating in or near moving traffic at roadway incidents and core elements of a roadway incident safety program.

During Your Weekly Training Session, Drill Night, or Down Time on Shift

We have developed a topic plan for EMS provider safety at roadway incidents that you can integrate into your training rotation.

TOPIC PLAN: Roadway Safety and TIM for EMS Providers

Suggested activities for each role in your department to place the focus on emergency responder safety and traffic incident management at roadway incidents, as well as the specific needs of EMS providers.

Leadership:

• Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network modules, "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers," "Traffic Incident Management: Model Practices and Procedures," "Recommended Practices for TIM SOPs," "Understanding NFPA 1091," and "Traffic Incident Management Requirements in NFPA 1500," “Professionalism and Leadership in Roadway Incident Response,” and “Helmets and Head Protection for Roadway Incidents.”
• Review the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "High Visibility Innovations," for information on recommended practices for high visibility markings on ambulances.
• Review the national standard for personnel who are assigned traffic control duties, NFPA 1091: Standard for Traffic Incident Management Personnel Professional Qualifications. Even if this standard has not been adopted in your jurisdiction, consider training your personnel to meet its requirements.
• Consider requiring all your personnel to earn the National TIM Training Certificate and complete the module "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers."
• Consider certification for all your personnel who are assigned traffic control duties. In the fall of 2020, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association will start offering a new Certified Traffic Incident Management Person credential that is third party accredited by The Pro Board to the NFPA 1091 standard. Responder Safety has written a comprehensive study guide to help personnel prepare for the certification exam. Visit fdsoa.org for more information on the certification. The certification is open to responders at all agencies, not just the fire service.
• Review your department's SOPs for roadway response, revise any that are outdated or inconsistent, and schedule refresher training on these SOPs. These SOPs should include high visibility garments and PPE, incident command, scene size-up, setting up a traffic incident management area (TIMA), blocking procedures and safe parking/positioning, emergency lighting deployment, manual traffic control protocols, scene control, move it or work it decision-making, response in Privately Owned Vehicles (POVs), termination, operation in special situations (vehicle fires, HAZMAT, medical helicopter landings), backing up ambulances, and after action reviews. Model SOPs to help you craft your department's SOPs on some of these topics are available here and here.
• Review NFPA 1500's chapter on Traffic Incident Management to ensure your department is following these best practices even if the standard is not required in your jurisdiction.
• Review the Roadway Safety Short "Safe Positioning an Ambulance at Roadway Incidents." Consider requiring your crews to watch it and implement its recommended procedures within the framework of your SOPs/SOGs. Review the other Roadway Safety Shorts videos to determine if you can implement these recommended practices as well when rendering patient care at a roadway incident scene.
• Review the video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus and Ambulances." Consider requiring your crews to watch it and implement its recommended procedures within the framework of your SOPs/SOGs.

Supervisors, Shift Commanders, Crew Chiefs, and Officers:

• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers." Encourage your crews to do the same.
• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, “Professionalism and Leadership in Roadway Incident Response” and consider how to apply its recommendations
• Play the Roadway Safety Short "Safe Positioning an Ambulance at Roadway Incidents" for your crew(s) and discuss how to apply its recommended practices at roadway incidents in your jurisdiction. In addition, play the other Roadway Safety Shorts videos for your crew(s) and discuss how you will apply these recommended practices when delivering patient care at a roadway incident scene.
• Show the video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus and Ambulances" to your crew(s) and discuss how to apply its recommended practices at roadway incidents in your jurisdiction.
• Earn the National TIM Training Certificate. Encourage your crews to earn it as well.
• Earn the Certified Traffic Incident Management Person credential. In the fall of 2020, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association will start offering this new credential that is third party accredited by The Pro Board to the NFPA 1091 standard. Responder Safety has written a comprehensive study guide to help personnel prepare for the certification exam. Visit fdsoa.org for more information on the certification. Encourage your crews to earn the certification as well.

Training Supervisors, Training Officers, and Instructors:

• Watch the Responder Safety Learning Network program, "Traffic Incident Management: Training & Resources."
• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers." Encourage your students to do the same, or even work it into classwork or homework as an assignment.
• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network modules, “Helmets and Head Protection for Roadway Incidents” and “Professionalism and Leadership in Roadway Incident Response.” Consider how to apply their recommendations to training in your department.
• Teach a lesson from the ResponderSafety.com Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Packages, which provide an overview of all the major components of integrating roadway safety and traffic control into department operations. During your presentation and class discussion, consider how to apply the concepts taught in the lesson to EMS operations at roadway incidents. The lesson plans are available here.
• Play the Roadway Safety Short "Safe Positioning an Ambulance at Roadway Incidents" for your classes and discuss how to apply its recommended practices at roadway incidents in your jurisdiction. In addition, play the other Roadway Safety Shorts videos for your classes and discuss how you will apply these recommended practices when delivering patient care at a roadway incident scene.
• Show the video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus and Ambulances" to your class(es) and discuss how to apply its recommended practices at roadway incidents in your jurisdiction.
• Discuss an EMS struck-by incident from ResponderSafety.com's interactive map of struck-by line-of-duty deaths, news articles, or yearly struck-by-vehicle fatality reports. Focus on the contributing factors and discuss how your department can implement measures to address those lessons learned.
• Earn the National TIM Training Certificate and complete the module "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers." Encourage your crews to earn it as well.
• Earn the Certified Traffic Incident Management Person credential. In the fall of 2020, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association will start offering this new credential that is third party accredited by The Pro Board to the NFPA 1091 standard. Responder Safety has written a comprehensive study guide to help personnel prepare for the certification exam. Visit fdsoa.org for more information on the certification. Encourage your crews to earn the certification as well.

Safety Officers:

• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers" and “Helmets and Head Protection for Roadway Incidents.” Encourage your crews to do the same, or even work it into a training rotation or assignment.
• Earn the National TIM Training Certificate and complete the module "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers." Encourage your crews to earn it as well.
• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network modules, “Helmets and Head Protection for Roadway Incidents” and “Professionalism and Leadership in Roadway Incident Response.” Consider how to apply their recommendations to training in your department.
• Play the Roadway Safety Short "Safe Positioning an Ambulance at Roadway Incidents" for your personnel and discuss how to apply its recommended practices at roadway incidents in your jurisdiction. In addition, play the other Roadway Safety Shorts videos for your personnel and discuss how you will apply these recommended practices when rendering patient care at a roadway incident scene.
• Show the video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus and Ambulances" to your crew(s) and discuss how to apply its recommended practices at roadway incidents in your jurisdiction.
• Earn the Certified Traffic Incident Management Person credential, a certification that is open to all personnel who respond to roadway incidents, regardless of their title, department, or agency. In the fall of 2020, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association will start offering this new credential that is third party accredited by The Pro Board to the NFPA 1091 standard, which can be applied to any emergency responder who is assigned traffic control duties. Responder Safety has written a comprehensive study guide to help personnel prepare for the certification exam. Visit fdsoa.org for more information on the certification. Encourage your crews to earn the certification as well. The certification is open to responders at all agencies, not just the fire service.
• Review the Roadway Safety Short "How to Safely Pass an Emergency Scene" during a safety break, roll call, or shift change to reinforce how important traffic control is to signaling motorists what to do when approaching a roadway incident scene.
• Play the other Roadway Safety Shorts videos for your crew(s) during safety breaks and safety stand downs. Discuss how you will apply these recommended practices to EMS operations at roadway incidents.
• Select a Topic Plan from the Safety Stand Down list on ResponderSafety.com and pick an activity to do from the suggested ones for your role or another role.

PIOs and Public Educators:

• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network modules "Traffic Incident Management: Strategies for Public Outreach" and module "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers."
• Push out the Roadway Safety Short "How to Safely Pass an Emergency Scene" to your media contacts and public education outlets, including driver education classes.
• Select a Topic Plan from the Safety Stand Down list on ResponderSafety.com and pick an activity to do from the suggested ones for your role or another role.
• Share at least one of the PSAs from ResponderSafety.Com's Resources for PIOs and Public Educators page on your department's social media channels.
• Send out a media advisory on a roadway safety topic using resources from ResponderSafety.com's PIO & Public Educator Engagement page.

Frontline Responders:

• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network module, "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers."
• Earn the National TIM Training Certificate and complete the module "Roadway Incident Operational Safety for EMS Providers." Encourage your crews to earn it as well.
• Take the Responder Safety Learning Network modules, “Helmets and Head Protection for Roadway Incidents” and “Professionalism and Leadership in Roadway Incident Response.” Consider how to apply their recommendations to training in your department.
• Earn the Certified Traffic Incident Management Person credential. In the fall of 2020, the Fire Department Safety Officers Association will start offering this new credential that is third party accredited by The Pro Board to the NFPA 1091 standard. Responder Safety has written a comprehensive study guide to help personnel prepare for the certification exam. Visit fdsoa.org for more information on the certification. Encourage your crews to earn the certification as well.
• Watch the Roadway Safety Short "Safe Positioning an Ambulance at Roadway Incidents" for your crew(s) and discuss with your supervisor to apply its recommended practices at roadway incidents in your jurisdiction. You can do the same with the other Roadway Safety Shorts videos.
• Watch the video "Best Practices for Backing Fire Apparatus and Ambulances" to your crew(s) and discuss with your supervisor to apply its recommended practices at roadway incidents in your jurisdiction.
• Select a Topic Plan from the Safety Stand Down list on ResponderSafety.com and pick an activity to do from the suggested ones for your role or another role.

Training Challenge ResponderSafety.com and the Responder Safety Learning Network encourage you to challenge your personnel to train on roadway safety practices and adopt a safety mindset when operating on the roadway by requiring or recommending to your personnel that they complete the National TIM Training Certificate from the Responder Safety Learning Network. Set a participation goal and reward if the goal is met. Personnel can prove they completed the certificate by printing and showing the National TIM Training Certificate to their supervisor.

More Resources You will find dozens of additional resources to help you train and improve the safety of your personnel when responding to incidents on the roadway, including vehicle fires, crashes, medical emergencies, natural disasters, and large scale responses like mass casualties and violent incidents. Here are the main categories of resources available to you. All resources are free.

• The Responder Safety Learning Network has over 35 online training modules about every aspect of roadway incident response safety
• Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Packages for Instructors with full lesson plans, videos, and model SOPs on 10 critical topics for teaching roadway incident response safety
• Roadway Safety Shorts are quick, practical videos on recommended safety practices for crucial tasks at roadway incident scenes
• Written Resources on multiple topics related to roadway incident response safety and survival.
• Videos on roadway incident response procedure demonstrations, PSAs, and recommended practices
• Struck By Incidents articles, reports, and an incident location map for line-of-duty deaths from struck-by vehicle incidents
• Emergency Vehicles information including videos and white papers on high visibility markings and emergency lighting recommended practices
• High Visibility Apparel information on requirements and recommended practices
• Resources for PIOs and Public Educators (PSAs, media kits, media advisories, infographic, push, card, and more)
• The Safety Stand Down weeklong training plan developed for Safety Stand Down 2020 has seven roadway safety topic plans that map out how each role in your department (leadership, fire officers, training officers and instructors, safety officers, PIOs and public educators, and frontline responders) can use specific ResponderSafety.com and RSLN resources to train on roadway safety.
• TIM in the Wildland Urban Interface. A package of training materials to assist organizations responding to wildfires with training personnel in how to integrate recommended traffic incident management practices into wildfire response to improve the safety of responders operating on foot near moving vehicles.