ITS Technology Forum

Re: Dedicated Major Incident Response Team

Posted By: Charles Casuscelli
Date: Monday, 10 September 2001, at 4:27 a.m.

In Response To: Dedicated Major Incident Response Team (Marc Briese)

The NSW Transport Management Centre (TMC) established Traffic Commander and Traffic Emergency Patrol services in Sept 1999. These services consist of a Traffic Command Unit of 9 personnel and a Traffic Emergency Patrol Unit of 65 personnel deployed throughout the Greater Urban Area of Sydney providing 24-hour 365 day a year coverage. All staff are permanently employed specialists.

The mission of RTA Traffic Commanders is to: " Manage the traffic arrangements around an incident scene and return the road to normal operating conditions with the utmost urgency."

Traffic Commanders are an operational extension of the Transport Management Centre. They are tasked and directed from the TMC and in effect become the TMC on site representative. The Traffic Commander at an incident scene and the TMC Duty Chief Traffic Operations Controller form a team to plan and execute traffic management arrangements. The Traffic Commander has five main functions at an incident scene:

Collect intelligence and pass it to the TMC,
Request resources and co-ordinate them as appropriate,
Take command of traffic management arrangements at an incident,
Liaise with other response agencies especially the Police, and
Assist in clearing the road and mitigating the traffic effects.

The mission of the TRaffic Emergency Patrols is to: "Patrol major road routes and respond to unplanned incidents with the aim of returning the road to normal operating conditions with the utmost urgency."

Traffic Emergency Patrols like the Traffic Commanders are an operational extension of the Transport Management Centre. They are tasked and directed from the TMC but are capable of executing their tasks in a semi autonomous role, as follows:

Independent action for minor incidents, ie breakdowns, debris removal.
At TMC direction to execute a broader traffic management response to a major incident.
At Traffic Commander direction at major incident scenes.

Traffic Emergency Patrols have four main functions:

Patrol designated road routes,
Collect road/traffic intelligence and pass it to the TMC,
Provide immediate assistance to motorists,
Execute traffic management and/or traffic control arrangements independently, or at TMC direction, or at Traffic Commander direction for all types of incidents,
Assist in clearing the road and mitigating the traffic effects.

These resources are especially designed to respond to a range of incidents and emergencies. Where emergencies are protracted in nature or large in scale then multiple units are dispatched and/or equipment trailers are deployed.

All officers have a detailed knowledge of safe working practice on roads and are regularly involved in multi -agency activities.

In a matter of weeks both the Traffic Commanders and Traffic Emergency Patrols will be recognised in law as emergency services. They will be able to use red and blue flashing lights and sirens as well as be exempt from traffic law when on duty.

Messages In This Thread

Dedicated Major Incident Response Team
Marc Briese -- Tuesday, 4 September 2001, at 11:03 a.m.

Re: Dedicated Major Incident Response Team
Barbara Hauser -- Wednesday, 5 September 2001, at 2:35 p.m.

Re: Dedicated Major Incident Response Team
Charles Casuscelli -- Monday, 10 September 2001, at 4:27 a.m.

Re: Dedicated Major Incident Response Team
Garth CRANK -- Monday, 29 August 2005, at 2:45 a.m.

Re: Dedicated Major Incident Response Team
Chris Ruwoldt -- Wednesday, 21 November 2001, at 12:45 a.m.

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