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Suggested Citation:"Appendix F - Salt Lake City, Utah, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix F - Salt Lake City, Utah, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix F - Salt Lake City, Utah, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
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Page 46
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix F - Salt Lake City, Utah, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
×
Page 47
Page 48
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F - Salt Lake City, Utah, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
×
Page 48
Page 49
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F - Salt Lake City, Utah, Case Study." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13730.
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F-1 APPENDIX F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, CASE STUDY 1 SUMMARY Information sharing between transportation agencies and public safety agencies in Salt Lake City is beneficial, per- sistent, mature, and effective. Relationships between the two communities are mutually reinforcing and exemplified by the good fit between them at all levels. Of particular inter- est, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) was able to take advantage of the Winter Olympics event being held in Salt Lake City soon after the terrorist incidents of September 11, 2001, and upgraded many of its systems and operations to a high degree of readiness. Also, much of the technical integration challenges were avoided by incorpo- rating UDOT and the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) into the same radio communications and computer-aided dispatch- ing (CAD) systems. Field personnel were unusually tightly integrated and work exceptionally well together at the scene of highway incidents. 1.1 Incorporative, Rather than Integrative, Approach Transportation operations have been brought within the UHP radio communications system, and transportation per- sonnel have been provided nearly fully functional mobile computer terminals connected with the UHP CAD system. By so doing, Salt Lake City has brought transportation and public safety together under the same communications and information systems, thus avoiding the challenges of inte- grating disparate systems. The approach has worked well. 1.2 Opportunities Exploited Even though UDOT and UHP already had some working relationships prior to the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, when the Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City soon thereafter, both the transportation community and the public safety community responded in unison to prepare for and counter further threats of this type. Additional means were provided, and, because of the anti-terrorism motive and the Olympics opportunity, an effective working-level rela- tionship was quickly formed and persists to this day. 1.3 Tight Operational Integration There is a highly developed operational relationship between the incident management team (IMT) specialists and the UHP personnel. A similar close working association exists between them and the other emergency responders. There was a comfortable familiarity among all of the responders, who all functioned quickly and efficiently within an implicit, but well-understood, command and control structure. 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Project 3-63 by Mitretek Systems, Inc. The principal inves- tigators for this project are Kevin Dopart, Manager, and Ken Brooke, Principal Engineer. The other researchers on this project were Aimee Flannery (now Assistant Professor, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia) and Ted Smith, both Lead Engineers at Mitretek Systems. The principal author of this case study is Ken Brooke. The authors would like to thank and acknowledge the fol- lowing individual contributors from Salt Lake City. Without their ready, willing, and enthusiastic participation, this case study would not have been possible. Carol J. Groustra Director Utah Communications Bureau Adrian Ruiz Manager Salt Lake Communications Center David Kinnecom Traffic Operations Engineer Salt Lake TOC Mack Christensen Traffic Operations Engineer UDOT Region 2 Billy Frashure Incident Management Specialist Salt Lake TOC Barbara Barton Shift Supervisor Salt Lake Communications Center Sergeant Ted Tingey Utah Highway Patrol

3 INTRODUCTION There has been a long and productive institutional and operational relationship between the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) and UDOT. The relationship was well established concerning traffic management on the Interstate and state highways in the greater Salt Lake City region. This relationship was brought even closer with the construction of the Salt Lake City Traffic Operations Center (TOC) next door to UDOT Region 2 Headquarters. Part of the motivation for establishing strong centralized traffic management in the Salt Lake City area was the concern for safety and security at the 2002 Winter Olympics, particularly because of terrorism concerns in the wake of September 11, 2001. The TOC also houses the UDPS Communications Bureau (with statewide responsibilities) and the Salt Lake Communications Center, which dispatches for both UDOT Region 2 and the DPS Highway Patrol. This close association further integrated the use of the emergency services, UDOT construction and main- tenance resources, and automated traffic management sys- tems. Under a recent reorganization, the TOC was reassigned from Region 2 to UDOT headquarters and given statewide traffic management responsibilities. 3.1 Interviews Held Interviews that were held include the following: 1. Telephone contacts, Carol Groustra, Director, Commu- nications Bureau, Utah DPS, (801) 887-3892. 2. Face-to-face, February 14, 2003, David Kinnecom, Traffic Operations Engineer, UDOT, (801) 887-3707. 3. Face-to-face, February 14, 2003, Adrian Ruiz, Manager, Salt Lake Communications Center, UHP, Utah DPS, (801) 887-3840, aruiz@utah.gov. 4. Face-to-face, February 14, 2003, Mack O. Christensen, P.E., Traffic Operations Engineer, Region 2, UDOT, (801) 975-4827, mchriste@dot.state.ut.us. 5. Face-to-face, February 14, 2003, Sergeant Ted Tingey, Public Information and Education, UHP, Utah DPS, (801) 284-5531. 6. Ride-along, February 14, 2003, Salt Lake City Incident Management Team field unit (Billy Frashure, Incident Management Specialist, TOC, UDOT, [801] 910-2910 [cell], [801] 887-3781, bfrasure@utah.gov). 7. Sit-along, February 15, 2003, the Salt Lake City Com- munications Center (Barbara Barton, Shift Supervisor, Salt Lake Communications Center, Communications Bureau, Utah PDS, [801] 887-3800). Material for this case study was also taken from the Salt Lake Area Advanced Traffic Management System’s Traffic Operations Center Operations Manual (December 2002) and the Salt Lake Area Advanced Traffic Management System Design Report (August 1999), both published by UDOT. F-2 3.2 Institutional Framework 3.2.1 UDOT 3.2.1.1 Salt Lake City Traffic Operations Center (TOC). The Salt Lake City TOC (see Figure 1) provides traffic man- agement services to the interstate highways within UDOT Region 2. Primarily, the TOC manages traffic using closed- circuit television (CCTV), variable message signs (VMSs), and traffic signal management. The TOC was a Region 2 resource until a recent reorganization elevated the TOC to a state-level resource directly under UDOT. Discussions are underway to expand the traffic management responsibili- ties of the TOC to encompass the entire state. 3.2.1.2 UDOT Region 2. UDOT Region 2 has general state transportation responsibilities for the geographical area around and including Salt Lake City. Figure 1. Salt Lake City TOC.

3.2.2 Utah DPS 3.2.2.1 UHP. UHP is the state operational law enforce- ment organization within Utah DPS. UHP has jurisdiction over the Interstate and state highways within Utah, and UHP troopers normally assume command over highway incidents in their jurisdiction. The UHP Bureau II geographical juris- diction is roughly equivalent to UDOT Region 2. 3.2.2.2 Communications Bureau. The Communications Bureau is an element of Utah DPS separate from UHP that provides dispatching services and communications systems to Utah DPS and to UHP. The director’s office is located at the Salt Lake City TOC. The Region 2 Communications Center is also located in the TOC building and dispatches for both UHP Bureau II and UDOT Region 2, as well as for several other local emergency services under formal memoranda of agreement. 3.3 Agreements and Formal Programs Very early in the process of establishing closer working relationships between UDOT and Utah DPS, the senior lead- ership in both departments signed a memorandum of agree- ment between their respective agencies. This expression of commitment and support proved to be an effective tool for bringing the members of each department closer together. The investigator concluded from observing interactions between the two departments that no paper agreement could have pos- sibly covered the many close associations that made up day- to-day joint operations. This close working relationship was evidence that the spirit of the agreement was emphasized in the previous years by senior and midlevel management in both departments, and this spirit has come to be regarded as a native and natural way of doing business together. 4 METHODS USED IN PRACTICE TO SHARE INFORMATION 4.1 Introduction UHP manages incidents on the Interstate highways, the joint area of concern for UHP and for UDOT. The only exceptions are either temporary situations, such as when UHP is not yet on the scene, or incidents that might occur in unusual circumstances related to extraordinary situations, such as off-highway incidents that affect the highway (such as with smoke, wildland fire, or plumes or runoff from haz- ardous materials spills). UDOT participates in a support role, primarily providing motorist assistance and traffic control in the vicinity of an incident scene. The Communications Bureau provides dispatching services to both UHP and UDOT. Exchange of information between public safety and trans- portation is primarily visual and verbal, using radios, tele- F-3 phones, and a great deal of face-to-face conversation. Inci- dent response teams are fully equipped with the necessary mobile communications and computer equipment to directly participate in the public safety CAD network. Dispatchers have direct visual access to the large TOC video wall dis- plays, and TOC console operators can monitor public safety operations through a link with the public safety CAD system. No substantial computer integration between transporta- tion and public safety has been necessary. The investigators speculate that years ago, planners chose the low-risk approach of incorporating UDOT field highway operations into the existing UHP systems, rather than building separate systems and integrating them into the UHP systems. The approach appears to have worked well. 4.2 Common CAD System and Communications System All field units, including UDOT Region 2 construction and maintenance units, UHP troopers, fire and rescue, emergency medical services (EMS), and UDOT incident management team (IMT) units share a common 800-MHz trunked radio communications system. Most, if not all field units are also equipped with cellular telephones. Dispatchers, UHP troop- ers, IMTs, and traffic management operators all have com- puter terminals connected to the same CAD system. Specialists in the IMT units have been granted sufficient access privileges to be able to check the status of disabled and abandoned vehicles encountered on the highway. In this manner, the IMT specialists are able to confirm that these vehicles are not stolen before rendering assistance to their occupants. This unusual privilege was extended to the IMT specialists in an effort to avoid unwittingly aiding perpetrators or becoming involved in a crime in progress. As explained to the investigator, this privilege was extended primarily for the safety of the IMT specialists. 4.3 Diligent Radio Traffic Monitoring The IMT units constantly monitor fire dispatch radio chan- nels for information on new highway incidents. Their dis- patching center (the TOC Communications Center) is a sec- ondary public safety answering point for 911 calls, and the transfer of alarm information regarding some incidents can be delayed. The cumulative delay can result in the radio dispatch of fire and rescue and EMS units before UHP and IMT units. By obtaining advance notice, IMT units can pre-position them- selves to more rapidly respond should they be later dispatched. This monitoring is a background activity and depends upon the IMT specialists’ knowledge of the other services’ opera- tions and geographical knowledge of the Salt Lake City area. Advance warning of potential dispatches can significantly speed response.

4.4 Field Teamwork The investigator observed that there is a highly developed operational relationship between the IMT specialists and the UHP troopers and inferred that a similar close working asso- ciation exists between them and the other emergency respon- ders. There was a comfortable familiarity among all of the responders, who functioned quickly and efficiently within an implicit but well-understood command and control structure. As part of this multidisciplinary team, the IMT units provided traffic control services with a minimum of coordination and detailed direction. This independent but effective coordinated mode of oper- ation indicates a long association between Utah DPS and its troopers and a long association between UDOT and its IMT specialists. These associations have generated a high degree of confidence in the competence of staff capabilities. The operation mode also shows a great deal of past information exchange, to the extent that explicit information exchange is no longer needed except for unusual circumstances. 5 BENEFITS OF INFORMATION SHARING AND CO-LOCATION: PERFORMANCE MEASURES It is difficult to rigorously and precisely measure the ben- efits of information sharing between transportation agencies and public safety agencies for several reasons, any one of which can invalidate attempts to do so: • No baseline, or control group, has been established to provide a basis for comparing current performance with former arrangements. Because it would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, for transportation agencies and public safety agencies to ever have con- ducted separate and isolated operations, it is likely that some information is always shared and exchanged. • It is difficult to establish defensible cause and effect relationships between information-sharing activities and apparent consequences related to improved traffic flow or reductions in mortality or morbidity. • It is difficult to quantify the public benefits of sharing information between transportation agencies and public safety agencies. Improvements brought about through cooperative highway activities are often difficult to express in economic terms, such as reductions in costs or improvements in revenue. No specific examples of benefit reporting was obtained from the TOC in Salt Lake City that could highlight the per- formance measures and benefits attributable to information sharing between public safety agencies and transportation agencies. The investigators feel that there is nevertheless a substantial, albeit unquantified, public benefit that is intu- itively attributed to the close working relationships between F-4 UDOT, UHP, and the remainder of the emergency response community. 5.1 Public Comment Postcards Following each instance of providing motorist assistance, the IMT specialist provides the motorist with a stamped post- card. The motorist may then fill out the preprinted comment form and provide feedback to TOC management regarding the quality and effectiveness of the IMT units. Many of these postcards have been filled out and returned, providing a data- base of evaluation data. While the investigator did not have the opportunity to examine the database, he did hear from sev- eral sources that many of those helped did not know that such assistance was available. Direct requests for such assistance are rare, and many encounters by IMT units are by chance during the course of IMT patrols, relays from UHP units, or CCTV observation at the TOC. 6 TRAINING STAFF The UDOT and Utah DPS staffs that the investigator met were qualified, competent, and very experienced. They men- tioned only two types of new technical skills outside of their main duties that related to exchanging information between UDOT and Utah DPS: interfacing with the CAD system and using the CCTV and VMS systems. Radio system usage did not appear to be an issue or a challenge for anyone. 6.1 CAD Skills TOC operators and IMT personnel monitor highway inci- dents that appear within the Utah DPS CAD system in order to provide assistance as required. The CAD system also tracks IMT unit status in the same manner in which it tracks the sta- tus of the other field units managed in the system. Also, in the event that transportation personnel become aware of an incident before UHP is aware, the transportation personnel enter the new incident into the CAD to notify UHP. Recently, IMT personnel have been granted permission to use CAD to verify that the vehicles being assisted are not stolen or other- wise of interest to law enforcement. Currently, transportation personnel only need relatively limited CAD skills; however, their involvement is growing in scope and complexity as traffic management becomes more and more integrated into highway law enforcement. Given the increasing assimilation of traffic management into the overall highway incident approach, it is reasonable to project the need for more comprehensive CAD skills among transportation personnel to support their evolving operational role. Utah DPS could benefit from creating a new pool of qualified CAD operators who could serve as a backup resource in times of overload, such as during major incidents or disasters.

6.2 CCTV and VMS Skills When significant incidents occur, available CCTV imagery is usually shown on the TOC video wall, which is in sight of both TOC operators and dispatchers. There did not appear to be any issue regarding who accomplished the task—if TOC operators were on duty, they did it, and if not, the dispatch- ers did it. TOC operators had more experience than the dis- patchers in operating the controls and were probably less dis- tracted by other activities, but either could do and did the job. 6.3 Job Qualifications, Skills, and Knowledge The investigator found no impediments to information exchange between UDOT and Utah DPS that could be attrib- uted to limited staff training. However, there does appear to be forthcoming opportunities to objectively document require- ments for staff competencies that facilitate this vital informa- tion flow. TOC operator positions are currently manned by TransCore employees under a contract to UDOT. In an effort to gauge the skill levels of currently assigned staff versus required compe- tencies, UDOT recently administered objective evaluations of those assigned to these positions. Position descriptions have also been prepared for these positions, should they be con- verted to state civil service positions. Such a staffing conver- sion will more firmly link required job skills, knowledge, and experience to the demands of these positions. It should also better link these competencies to the contents of the current TOC operations manual, which has been developed over the last few years while these services have been provided by con- tractors. This should better incorporate the requirements for TOC operators to be proficient in CAD usage. Dispatchers in the TOC Communications Center have been provided the means to control CCTV cameras and to post VMS messages directly from their consoles. A few dispatch- ers are highly proficient, but a few dispatchers are less so. Dispatchers can receive guidance and assistance from the traffic management operators either in person (when they are on duty) or by telephone (when they are not). It is clear that rapid view of an accident scene and quick posting of VMS messages can be extremely helpful during highway incident management. 7 ISSUES AND BARRIERS 7.1 Institutional Challenges The disjointed jurisdictions between UHP, the Salt Lake City Communications Center, TOC, and UDOT Region 2 shift incident management and traffic management responsibili- ties because different organizations have jurisdiction. For many historical reasons, these organizations have different jurisdictional areas of responsibility. The jurisdictions over- F-5 lap to a large extent, but relationships are not uniform every- where. For example, UHP contracts with local law enforce- ment to provide services in some of the area. Also, roadways other than the Interstates, U.S. highways, and state highways may be handled by local organizations. The effects of high- way incidents can spread through all jurisdictions, which can require the formation of ad hoc multiparty efforts involving outside agencies. The recent elevation of the TOC and expansion of its traffic management responsibilities to a statewide scope will present significant institutional challenges in the future, as new rela- tionships are established with the other UDOT regions, UHP Bureaus, and Communications Bureau Dispatch Centers. 7.2 Technical Challenges No significant technical challenges were noted that mate- rially affected the exchange of information between trans- portation agencies and public safety agencies. This lack of significant technical challenges is unusual in any large oper- ation and very unusual when large organizations attempt to work together. In fact, the lack is extraordinary, considering the amount of technology in use, the wide area of coverage, and the urgency exhibited by most users. 7.3 Procedural Challenges The investigator did not notice any significant procedural challenges that rose to levels that jeopardized any participat- ing organization’s mission objectives. 7.4 Conflict Resolution Processes No significant conflicts were noted, and no staff highlighted the use of conflict resolution mechanisms outside of those implemented within the existing organizational structure. 8 COMMENTARY 8.1 Security, Terrorism, and Homeland Defense The present facility, systems, and the partnership between law enforcement agencies and transportation agencies prob- ably owe much of their reason for existence to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was the motivation of pro- tecting the attendees and participants in the Winter Olympics that channeled significant amounts of attention and resources into Salt Lake City and probably accounted for a significant portion of the support needed to construct and staff the TOC. The continuing benefit to regional travelers and local public safety is a rare example of good works that can be attributed to terrorism.

8.2 Responder and Motorist Safety Two anecdotes heard by investigators probably illustrate the need for close cooperation and exchange of information between transportation and public safety. First, it is a surprisingly common occurrence for IMT vehicles and personnel to be struck by vehicles while at the scene of a highway incident. Thankfully, the occurrence usu- ally results in only minor damage to vehicles and no injury, but the cumulative effect on the vehicles and technicians must be significant. This battering was cited as one of the reasons why new vehicles were being procured somewhat earlier than planned and why they might need to be a little stronger. It has also apparently raised the awareness of IMT personnel to a high degree of cautiousness, since one of them required hos- pitalization from being struck. Second, not all disabled motorists are innocent travelers. The story is told of a trooper helping a motorist to change a flat tire on the freeway. Later, the trooper found out that the vehicle and its driver matched the description of a robbery suspect. Apparently, this story was one of the reasons that IMT personnel have been granted permission to check vehi- cle license numbers for possible entries in wanted files before they render assistance. 8.3 Using a Common CAD System and Communications The Salt Lake City participants in highway incident man- agement are enjoying an unusual luxury: there has been suf- ficient capacity on these systems to accommodate transporta- tion along with public safety users. When project planners decided to use a common CAD and communications system, they conveniently sidestepped all of the problems associated F-6 with integrating dissimilar systems, which are famous for con- suming large quantities of time and money and for still not succeeding. By bypassing most of the technical distractions, highway incident participants were free to work out their other institutional and operational challenges and have appeared largely successful. 8.4 Diligent Radio Traffic Monitoring Diligent radio traffic monitoring is a learned skill and can require a significant amount of training and practice. The dis- patchers in the Communications Bureau are highly experi- enced radio operators and have learned to handle two or three simultaneous and independent channels of chatter, but it takes unusual talent to monitor more than that, especially if there is a significant amount of traffic. The IMT members have found radio monitoring to be the best way to keep abreast of activity on the highway and an excellent early warning method that can be used effectively to pre-position and pre-alert responding resources. IMT members have also found radio monitoring to be an excellent way to keep abreast of develop- ments in public safety, such as changes in personnel assign- ments or operating procedures. 8.5 Field Teamwork Salt Lake City incident management field personnel have developed a healthy skeptical attitude regarding field opera- tions. They tend to appreciate actions over words and over plans, and their respect for other responders directly stems from positive interactions with the other responders. Such a tight and efficient relationship that has grown up between the UHP and IMT responders is evidence of a long history of positive mutual experiences.

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 520: Sharing Information between Public Safety and Transportation Agencies for Traffic Incident Management presents lessons learned from around the country on how public safety and transportation agencies share information for managing traffic incidents.

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