››› Session 1

Keynote Address - An Executive Overview of Incident Management

John O`Laughlin   , PB Farradyne, Inc.

Incident Management programs have been developed in nearly every urban area and in most states. And in countries throughout the world. As we enter the 21st century, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) solutions have been and are being deployed to reduce the impact of these incidents, especially in heavily congested urban areas. Due to a variety of impacts such as political pressure, budget restraints, institutional resistance, and lack of a clear mandate, programs and ITS solutions have a wide range of styles and success rates. In order to make them work their best, there are a number of operational, political, and institutional problems that need to be addressed. This paper summarizes the best methods of solving institutional and political problems that impact the success rate of Incident Management programs. It covers how agencies should train together, what agreements they should develop, and how to gain senior management support. It also covers safety issues that help responders from all agencies decrease their risk at roadway scenes.