Overview

Traffic incident responders frequently fall victim to “secondary incidents” that occur as they attend to the original incident. The “quick clearance” of traffic incidents is one of the most effective ways to minimize their negative impact. Quick clearance at known “high accident” locations can be enhanced by pre-incident planning that targets the rapid removal of an incident. These plans require a coordinated effort of all responders — including police, fire, EMS, public works and private towing companies.

The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) developed the Safe Practices for Traffic Incident Responders (HWS020) course to train on-scene traffic responders — law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services (EMS), and public works traffic control personnel — in safe procedures for accomplishing their tasks in and near traffic. The course is led by instructors from the fire services, law enforcement, and traffic control disciplines, and is presented at no charge to Texas city and county employees. TEEX conducts the course in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Downloads

To download and print out a PDF of maps and other helpful information, click the links below.