Towing & Recovery

Towing and recovery professionals work emergency scenes on the roadway both as a single unit and as part of a multi-agency response. In all situations, traffic control is necessary for the safety of towing and recovery personnel working that incident and should be established before operations begin. These resources assist towing and recovery professionals in establishing the policies, procedures, and training necessary to implement traffic control at every roadway incident response 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.

TIM Certification

• Traffic Incident Management Technical Specialist Professional Certification: Available from the Fire Department Safety Officers Association. Exam study materials available on ResponderSafety.com

TIM Certificates

All certificates are available online from The Responder Safety Learning Network.

• National TIM Training Certificate
• Innovative Responder Safety Strategies Certificate
• Roadway Incident Response Safety Leadership Certificate

Struck-By Incident Reporting

The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) is collecting reports of incidents where an emergency responder or an emergency vehicle were struck while working a roadway incident. This includes towing and recovery personnel and vehicles. Help us better understand how these struck-by incidents occur so we can design training, resources, and public education to reduce their occurrence.

Report a Struck-By Incident at ReportStruckBy.com.

Additional Responder Safety & TIM Online Training Modules

• 40+ online training modules available The Responder Safety Learning Network. Modules of particular interest to towing and recovery:

  • Advance Warning

  • Blocking Procedures at Roadway Incidents

  • Fire Service Collaboration with Towing and Recovery Operations

  • The First 15 Minutes at Roadway Incidents

  • Helmets and Head Protection for Roadway Incidents

  • Innovative Temporary Traffic Control Devices & Methods

  • Personal Protective Equipment for Roadway Incident Response

  • Safety Service Patrols: An Underutilized Partner

  • Special Hazards

  • Termination

  • TIM Techniques for Weather Events

  • Understanding NFPA 1091

  • Who’s In Charge at Roadway Incident

Roll Calls, Safety Breaks, and Training Rotations

• Videos —

  • Roadway Safety Shorts

  • New Retrofitted Technology for Traffic Units

  • Traffic Incident Management Committees Drive Roadway Safety

• Lesson Plans and Videos —

  • Roadway Safety Teaching Topic Packages (includes TIM In A Minute videos)

• Training Plans — Crash Responder Safety Week

• Training Plans — Rural Roads

Podcast

The Emergency Responder Safety Institute presents the ResponderSafety.com podcast, a closer look at hot topics, new information, innovative approaches, and case studies in responder safety at roadway incidents and in traffic incident management. Listen for practical, actionable information you can implement today at your next roadway incident response to improve safety of emergency response personnel and the public, no matter which agency you work for. Come learn from interviews and special features with experts and leaders in emergency services. All agencies who respond to roadway incidents — fire, EMS, fire police, law enforcement, DOT, safety service patrols, special traffic units, medevac, and towing and recovery — are all welcome and will find value in what we discuss.

Episodes of particular interest to towing and recovery personnel:

• Episode 4: Secondary Crashes: Lessons from the NTSB
• Episode 5: Towing and Recovery with Angela Barnett and Brian Riker
• Episode 6: A conversation with Cindy Iodice Founder and CEO of Flagman Inc.
• Episode 8: A Discussion on Autonomous Vehicles with Gary McCarthy, Rob Patrick, and Jack Sullivan
• Episode 9: Commercial Electric Vehicles with Tom Miller
• Episode 11: ASTM Helmet Standard with Brady Robinette

Emergency Vehicles & Lighting

• Online Training Module — High Visibility Innovations

• Online Training Module — See and Be Seen: Emergency Lighting Awareness

• Online Training Module — New Technologies in Emergency Vehicle Lighting

• Emergency Lighting Research Initiative

• Report — Impacts of Emergency Vehicle Marking Color, Patterns and Retroreflectivity on Safety-Related Driver Responses: Study Report

• Report — Effects of Emergency Vehicle Lighting Characteristics on Driver Perception and Behavior: Study Report

• Report — Hardening Blocking Vehicles for Traffic Incidents and Planned Special Events. Report of Workshop Proceedings. Emergency Responder Safety Institute.

• Report — Study of Protecting Emergency Responders on the Highways and Operation of Emergency Vehicles: A Review of First Responder Agencies Who Have Adopted Emergency Lighting and Vehicle Conspicuity Technology. Emergency Responder Safety Institute. Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association.

• Video — Marked and Seen

• Video — New Retrofitted Technology for Traffic Units

• Additional Resources — Vehicle Emergency Lighting and Markings

Helmets & Head Protection

• Online Training Module — Helmets and Head Protection for Roadway Incidents

• Helmets & Head Protection Initiative

• ASTM E3422: Standard Specification for Protective Helmets Worn by Pedestrian Roadway Workers Will Lead to Better Protection Against Roadway Incident Struck-By Hazards

Public Education

• Videos — PSAs

• Online Training Module — Strategies for Public Outreach

• Online Training Module — Integrating Roadway Safety into Community Risk Reduction Programs

• Additional Resources — Materials for Public Educators and PIOs

• Additional Resources — Public Education

• Additional Resources — Safety Education Materials

Resources for Specific Roles

• For Leadership

• For Instructors

• For Towing & Recovery Professionals