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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Safety Service Patrol Standardization and Management Practices

The objective of the Safety Service Patrol (SSP) Pooled Fund Study (PFS) is to support the development of recognized industry standards by establishing tools and technical reports that identify best practices and aligns those best practices to assist organizations in addressing issues that are common among agencies that manage and operate SSPs. The SSP PFS will provide an opportunity to facilitate information sharing and documentation of the successful practices of established SSP programs. The SSP Industry Association (SSPIA) will partner with the PFS to establish a repository of information for all existing and future agency members of the SSPIA. Many jurisdictions throughout the country operate full-function SSPs that are equipped to provide a wide range of complex, on-scene assistance to help mitigate an incident. SSP Operators are often first on the scene of an incident and provide immediate and invaluable assistance to law enforcement, involved parties, and other first responders. In many programs, SSP Operators remain on the scene throughout its duration, which increases their exposure to traffic and threatens their personal safety. The collective experience gained from agencies managing these programs will provide invaluable knowledge to improve the safety of SSP Operators, first responders, and the public. The PFS is intended to expand upon the FHWA-led 2017 study entitled, “Safety Service Patrol Priorities and Best Practices” (FHWA-HOP-16-047) that largely focused on which agencies currently have SSP programs, the programs’ overall objectives, items for new program managers to consider, and performance metrics used by those programs. The PFS is looking to further identify best practices that can support standards in the application of emergency traffic control; safety protocols for SSP vehicles and associated equipment; and guidelines for staffing, training, and certification of SSP staff. Agencies providing SSP services prioritize the safety of their operators, first responders, and the public. The results of this PFS will support those agencies with that top priority by providing guidance for SSP program management; documentation of standard for emergency traffic control and SSP support activities; and best practices in staffing and training initiatives employed by existing SSP programs. The primary objective of this PFS study will be to gain technical information related to SSP program management, standards associated with SSP response protocol and the implementation of traffic control, and references and guidance related to staffing, training, and resource allocations within SSP programs. The goals include: 1) Assemble best practices and lessons learned from existing programs; 2) Develop guidance documents based on lessons learned from existing programs; 3) Reference or create tools that will help agencies make informed program decisions such as route selection, staffing levels, and resource allocation.

Language

  • English

Project

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01790164
  • Record Type: Research project
  • Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
  • Contract Numbers: TPF-5(489)
  • Files: RIP, USDOT
  • Created Date: Dec 1 2021 5:13PM