Major Initiatives > ETO > Initiative Overview > Technologies Involved

ITS to Enhance Incident Response

Objective

This study will analyze additional ways that ITS can be applied to support enhanced response by all responders to incident scenes. Major outcomes include additional concepts for application of ITS, both in-vehicle and infrastructure.

Background

ITS technologies support on-scene highway incident operations, primarily through control and management of traffic approaching an incident. However they provide little support to responding units while en route to the incident. Faster response by both emergency vehicles (law enforcement, fire and rescue, and EMS) and by other responding units (towing and recovery, maintenance, and support equipment) that are difficult to maneuver through traffic would promote faster clearance, and more rapid restoration of traffic flow. This project will examine adaptations of standard ITS freeway and traffic management systems, including loop detector systems, CCTV systems, and lane and ramp control systems, to utilize their capabilities to facilitate incident response through congested traffic behind the incident or in contra-flow downstream from the incident. Such response would also be safer for responders and travelers, reducing the likelihood of occurrence of secondary incidents caused by responding units threading their way through congested traffic or head-on crashes with units responding contra-flow from downstream.

Scope

Task 1- Timeline, kickoff, and reports

The Contractor shall develop a timeline for the tasks to be undertaken in this project and submit the timeline for FHWA approval. Following receipt of comments from FHWA, the Contractor shall revise the timeline as appropriate. The Contractor shall organize a kickoff conference call or meeting to discuss the project plan and timeline with the FHWA COTM. The Contractor shall document the discussion and conclusions from the kickoff.

Task 2 - Literature Search

The Contractor shall search both domestic and international sources for information on how ITS has been applied, either experimentally or in regular operation, in supporting rapid and effective response by incident responders. The contractor shall seek information on what the results have been of these practices and what level of impact on vehicular traffic has resulted from them. The Contractor is encouraged to include anecdotal information as well as quantitatively assessed results. The Contractor shall produce a summary technical memorandum of the findings.

Task 4 - Operational Concept and Functional Requirements

The Contractor shall examine the existing operational concept for incident response in the National ITS Architecture, and shall prepare a report regarding the accuracy, detail, and completeness of the current concept. Based on this analysis, the contractor shall recommend appropriate changes to the operational concept.

Task 5 - Transportation Activities and Applications of Technology

Based on the operational concept and findings from prior tasks, the Contractor shall identify and document additional opportunities for application of ITS to enhance response to the incident scene. The Contractor shall describe each and the technologies that would be necessary to accomplish it. If such technologies do not yet exist or are not practical in an incident management environment, the contractor shall identify how such gaps might be resolved. The Contractor shall prepare a technical memorandum cataloguing and describing the identified possible applications of technology, their potential impact on incident response, along with the technology/equipment needs.

Task 6 - Model

The Contractor shall create a model of incident response, consistent with the operational concept, including the activities and technology applications identified in the preceding tasks. Selection of the modeling tool shall be coordinated with the FHWA COTM. The contractor shall utilize the model to further analyze the potential impact of the technology applications to improving incident response and incident duration, and to identify areas of incident response that present significant opportunities for improvement. The Contractor shall document the model development process and key methods and settings. The Contractor shall prepare a technical memorandum summarizing the modeling effort, results, and findings/recommendations.

Task 7 - Guidance

Based upon the research, the Contractor shall develop a final report of potential new applications of technology for enhancing incident response. The report shall also articulate the needs and opportunities. The report also shall include discussion on major opportunities for improvement in incident response effectiveness. The report shall include as chapters the technical memoranda developed in preceding tasks.

Updated October 9, 2008 4:11 PM