View from the Street * Dec 2015

By Eric Reddeck, NFFF Everyone Goes Home Advocate –http://www.everyonegoeshome.com

On December 9, 1999 Hampton Roads Highway Management plan MOU was signed.  A simple TIM plan of six pages with a 16 minute training video. Being Chair of HRHIM I can say, Team Work and Networking was how this plan was achieved.  Jack Sullivan gave a great presentation in March 1999  and using a Fairfax County Fire Department SOP from Steve Weissman as  a guide .  HRHIM held monthly meetings to come up with a plan all could agree.  After the agreement HRHIM held meetings  in March, June, September, and December  on the second Wednesday from 9am-12pm . Having an active Traffic Incident Management team ON THE SCENE requires  having  regular meetings set location and time.  I think that a very important element  was the informal discussion in small groups before and after the meeting.

It takes more then First Responders being a team.  The Governor, General Assembly and local Mayors must  agree on things like – The Move Over Law,  forming Statewide Traffic Incident Management Committee,  adopting National Unified Goals  and  funding of Preemption of Traffic Signals to increase safety while reducing response times  to incidents to name a few.

2015 Killed in the Line of Duty