FLORIDAS

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FLORIDAS OPEN ROADS POLICIES AND INTER AGENCY MOU
JENNIFER D. HELLER TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
COORDINATOR FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT V TRANSPO 2004
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WHY AN OPEN ROADS POLICY?

• To increase the safety for incident responders
  and the motoring public.
• Facts
• On Interstate 4, if you block a lane of traffic,
  there is a 33 chance of a secondary crash
  occurring. Highest in the Nation!
• Over half of law enforcement officers that are
  killed in the line of duty died in traffic
  crashes.
• 2. To increase Communication, Cooperation and
  Coordination between Law Enforcement, Fire
  Rescue, Traffic Engineers and Other Incident
  Responders.

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EXISTING POLICIES

• Statewide Open Roads Policy
• Initiated by Statewide Traffic Incident
  Management Team Clearance Committee
• Policy Between Florida Highway Patrol and
  Florida Department of Transportation
• Written and Signed in 10 months!
• Goal 90 Minutes to Clear an Incident
• Actively Solicit and Enlist Other Agencies

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EXISTING POLICIES

• TRI County Area Open Roads Policy
• Initiated by Orange County Commissioner
  /MetroPlan Orlando Chair Ted Edwards, Florida
  Highway Patrol Troop D, and Florida Department of
  Transportation, District 5
• Policy Between Florida Highway Patrol Troop D,
  Florida Department of Transportation District 5
  and 23 Local City and County Agencies
• Signed in 4 months!
• Goal 90 Minutes to Clear an Incident

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EXISTING POLICIES

• Medical Examiners Open Roads Policy
• Initiated by Florida Highway Patrol, Troop D
  and K and Florida Department of Transportation,
  District 5 and Turnpike Enterprise
• Policy Between Florida Highway Patrol Troop D
  and K, Florida Department of Transportation
  District 5 and Turnpike Enterprise and Office of
  Medical Examiner for Orange and Osceola County
  (District 9)
• Use of Digital Photos to expedite the removal
  of deceased persons from the roadway.
• Goal 90 Minutes to Clear an Incident

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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?
Tools Used to Meet Goal

• FDOT District 5
• Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Teams
• Tri County TIM (Seminole, Orange And Osceola
  County)
• Brevard County TIM
• Volusia County TIM
• Marion County TIM
• Sumter and Lake County TIM
• Flagler County TIM

Agencies Attending All Law Enforcement, All
Fire Rescue, All Traffic Engineers and Any
Incident Responder. Keep the lines of
communication open!!!
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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?
Tools Used to Meet Goal

• STATEWIDE TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM
• 4 SUB COMMITTEES
• Detection, Verification and Response
• Communication
• Training
• Clearance

Anyone can join these committees!
Working on Statewide Traffic Incident Management
Changes
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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?
Tools Used to Meet Goal
FDOT DISTRICT 5 MAINTENANCE PRIORITIZES AND MAKES
A COMMITMENT TO OPEN ROADS

• Reorganized On Call Personnel
• Updated On Call Response Vehicles
• Front End Loader at Each Yard

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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?

• Tools Used to Meet Goal
• I-4 Road Rangers Free Service Patrol
• 24 Hours / 7 Days
• Provide Assistance to Stranded Motorists
• (Minor Repairs, Gasoline, etc.)
• Provide Temporary Traffic Control during
  Traffic Crashes
• Tool for Clearing the Roadway
• Provide Drivers Exchange Forms
• And More

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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?

• Tools Used to Meet Goal
• Florida Highway Patrol
• FDOT Funds FHP Positions for I-4
• Purpose - Improve Response Times, Clearance
  Times, Overall Traffic Incident Management

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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?

• Tools Used to Meet Goal
• Regional Traffic Management Center (RTMC) 24
  Hours / 7 Days Operation
• Informational Hub for the Region
• Manages Traffic with ITS CCTV, DMS and VDS
• Dispatch for Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and
  Other State Law Enforcement
• Dispatch Road Rangers and FDOT On- Call
  Responders
• Provides 511 Traveler Informational Services
• And More

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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?
Pilot Project Location Reference Markers (LRF)
I-75 and Alligator Alley
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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?
Pilot Project FHP/FDOT/Road Rangers Radio
Communications Seminole County (Test Area) This
will add FDOT and Road Rangers to FHP
Communication Channels.
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How to meet the Open Roads Goal?
Photogrammetry Funding FHP with Photogrammetry
Technology Purpose Quick Clearance for Traffic
Homicide Investigations

• Reduce incident related congestion
• Improve clearance times
• Prevent secondary collisions
• Improve traffic flow and air quality
• Decrease the economic impact of incidents
• Most of all IMPROVE SAFETY!

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QUESTIONS????
JENNIFER D. HELLER TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
COORDINATOR FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT V 719 S. WOODLAND
BLVD. DELAND, FLORIDA 32720 (386)
943-5322 Jennifer.heller_at_dot.state.fl.us