Post-Course Assessment and Reporting Tool for Trainers and TIM Responders Using the SHRP 2 Interdisciplinary Traffic Incident Management Curriculum (2014)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

2The goal of the SHRP 2 Reliability focus area is to reduce con- gestion through incident reduction, management, response, and mitigation. SHRP 2 Reliability Project L12 delivered a coordinated, multidisciplinary training program for traffic incident responders and managers through interactive semi- nars, tabletop role-play, and field practicum. To facilitate the implementation of this traffic incident management (TIM) program, SHRP 2 initiated two projects: • L32A: Conduct train-the-trainer pilot courses for incident responders and managers, and • L32B: Develop an e-learning tool for training traffic inci- dent responders and managers. The ultimate goal of the national TIM training program is to create a safer future for both incident responders and motorists in which traffic backups from crashes are cleared quickly and efficiently, responders are never injured or killed at the scene, and interagency incident communications are prompt, reliable, and coordinated. To help agencies assess the return on their training invest- ment and to uncover what additional steps they can take to meet their goals for incident response, SHRP 2 initiated Proj- ect L32C: Post-Course Assessment and Reporting Tool for Trainers and TIM Responders Using the SHRP 2 Interdisci- plinary Traffic Incident Management Curriculum. As stated in the project’s original RFP, the goal of Project L32C was to “develop a tool that agencies can use to ensure student achievement of the TIM training learning objectives and to identify additional resources TIM responders and man- agers might need to meet their goals for incident response.” The project RFP stipulated a number of requirements, as follows: • The tool should apply across multiple target groups within incident response agencies and organizations at all organizational levels, including executives, mid-level pro- gram managers, field responders, and trainers conducting the subject training. • The tool must be multifaceted, sustainable, and scalable to a variety of applications (e.g., classes, online and e-mail- based training, executive briefings). • The tool should be based as much as possible on off-the- shelf software and equipment that is readily available to state and other public-sector agencies through existing contracts or standard bidding procedures. As a research project, L32C was expected to demonstrate the business and technical feasibility of developing the desired TIM assessment tool. Following the completion of the proj- ect, the tool would evolve into a full production system, as shown in Figure 1.1: 1. Demonstrating initial functionality and maturity by the end of the L32C project (the scope and subject of this report). 2. Continuing to mature and become close to production- ready during a transition period before takeover by an “owning” agency. 3. Operating as a full production system after formal take- over by an agency. C h a p t e r 1 Background Figure 1.1. Evolution of TIM assessment tool over time. • Complete February 2014 • February 2014 to March 2015 • March 2015 and beyond