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Two Fire Fighters Die and One Fire Fighter Injured When Struck 

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Executive Summary

On March 15, 2017, an 80-year-old 

male volunteer deputy chief and a 

53-year-old female volunteer fire 

fighter died, and a 43-year-old male 

volunteer fire fighter was injured

while operating at an incident scene

where a dump truck was tangled in 

downed telephone lines. The fire 

fighters were struck by a hit-and-run 

driver. Both the deputy chief and

female fire fighter were pronounced 

dead at the incident scene. At 1701 

hours, the fire department was 

dispatched to a report of a dump 

truck pulling down power lines and 

the power was out in the area. The 

dump truck actually pulled down 

telephone lines when they became

entangled around the bed of the 

dump truck. Due to the force of the 

telephone lines being pulled down, 

this caused power lines to arc which 

caused a power outage. At 1719 hours, the deputy chief arrived on scene in Rescue 1. The fire chief 

and the male fire fighter responded in the fire chief’s POV. The female fire fighter arrived in her POV 

several minutes after Rescue 1 arrived. The city’s police department also responded and was on scene. 

The fire fighters provided traffic control at the scene. At approximately 1805 hours, the dump truck 

left the scene. A power company representative and a power company crew were still on scene. At 

approximately 1810 hours, the city police officers cleared the scene. At approximately 1816 hours, the 

fire chief went to meet with the power company representative to determine if the fire department was 

still needed. At 1818 hours, a vehicle went through the area where the three fire fighters were standing.

The area was off the roadway at the fork between a state road and county road. The vehicle struck the 

deputy chief first. He was thrown onto the vehicle, pushing the windshield inward and collapsing the 

roof of the car near the “A” Post. He was carried approximately 125 feet before he fell off the vehicle

onto the roadway. The female fire fighter was struck and thrown approximately 60 feet and landed in 

the roadway. The other fire fighter was struck and knocked to the ground near where he was standing. 

The incident scene after Medic 2 arrived on scene. The 

paramedic assigned to Medic 2 is assessing the deputy 

chief and fire fighter. He pronounced both members 

deceased. The time is approximately 1838 hours

(Photo courtesy of WDAM TV)
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The power company employee was facing the fire fighters and witnessed the incident. The fire chief 

witnessed the vehicle striking the fire fighters and watched the vehicle leave the scene. The fire chief 

immediately notified the county fire dispatcher of the incident and a description of vehicle, then went 

to check on the three fire fighters. The fire chief advised the dispatcher that two fire fighters were 

deceased and one fire fighter was injured. The county dispatch center dispatched law enforcement, 

fire, and emergency medical services to the scene. At 1838 hours, Medic 2 arrived on scene, the 

paramedic from Medic 2 pronounced the two fire fighters deceased. Advanced life support (ALS) care 

was initiated on the injured fire fighter. Medic 2 transported the injured fire fighter to the local trauma

center at 1856 hours. Medic 2 arrived at the trauma center at 1916 hours. The fire fighter was treated 

and released the following day.

Contributing Factors • Alleged impaired civilian driver 

• Lack of an incident action plan

• Inadequate temporary traffic control zone

• Lack of traffic incident management 

• Lack of SOPs/SOGs on Traffic Incident Management

• Lack of training on highway/roadway traffic incident management

Key Recommendations

• Fire departments should develop pre-incident plans regarding deployment for 

highway/roadway incidents. These pre-incident plans should include establishing a temporary 

traffic control zone, maintaining scene safety, ensuring situational awareness, and proper 

traffic control for highway/roadway emergency work zones. 

• Fire departments should ensure that all members receive training for conducting traffic 

incident management during emergency operations at highway/roadway incidents

• Fire departments should ensure that a continuous scene size-up is conducted and risks are 

continuously assessed and managed throughout a highway/roadway incident.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an institute within the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of 

work-related injury and illness. In 1998, Congress appropriated funds to NIOSH to conduct a fire fighter initiative that resulted in the 

NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, which examines line-of-duty deaths or on-duty deaths of fire 

fighters to assist fire departments, fire fighters, the fire service, and others to prevent similar fire fighter deaths in the future. The 

agency does not enforce compliance with state or federal occupational safety and health standards and does not determine fault or 

assign blame. Participation of fire departments and individuals in NIOSH investigations is voluntary. Under its program, NIOSH 

investigators interview persons with knowledge of the incident who agree to be interviewed and review available records to develop 

a description of the conditions and circumstances leading to the death(s). Interviewees are not asked to sign sworn statements and 

interviews are not recorded. The agency's reports do not name the victim, the fire department, or those interviewed. The NIOSH 

report's summary of the conditions and circumstances surrounding the fatality is intended to provide context to the agency's 

recommendations and is not intended to be definitive for purposes of determining any claim or benefit.

For further information, visit the program website at www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire or call toll free 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).
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Two Fire Fighters Die and One Fire Fighter Injured When Struck 

at a Roadway Incident – Mississippi

Introduction

On March 15, 2017, an 80-year-old male volunteer deputy chief and a 53-year-old female volunteer 

fire fighter died, and a 43-year-old male volunteer fire fighter was injured while operating at an 

incident scene where a dump truck was tangled in downed telephone lines. On March 17, 2017, the 

United States Fire Administration notified the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) of this incident. On May 16 - 20, 2017, an investigator and an occupational health and safety 

specialist from the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program traveled to 

Mississippi to investigate this incident. 

The NIOSH investigators met with the county fire service coordinator, the city’s fire chief, the city’s 

police chief, county volunteer fire chiefs and fire fighters, the county sheriff and investigators, and the

director of the county’s dispatch center. The NIOSH investigators reviewed the fire department’s 

standard operating procedures, training records from the department and the state of Mississippi Fire 

Academy, and dispatch and tactical channel radio transmissions. The NIOSH investigators visited and 

photographed the incident scene. During the investigation, witness statements were reviewed. 

Interviews were conducted with the fire fighters, fire officers, fire chiefs, and law enforcement officers,

who responded to the incident. 

Fire Department

The county in which this incident occurred has 13 fire departments. There are two volunteer fire 

departments and 11 combination fire departments, which are staffed by county fire fighters. These fire 

fighters are full-time and part-time employees. The 13 fire departments are staffed by approximately 

220 volunteer fire fighters.

The county consists of 500 square miles with a population of 60,618. In 2016, there were 4,500 alarms 

for fire and EMS. Emergency medical services are provided by a private ambulance company that is 

contracted by the county. The medic units are operational as follows:

• 1 medic unit: 0900 – 2100 hours

• 3 medic units: 24 hours

The staffing for each unit is a paramedic and an EMT/B. 

The fire department that responded to the incident serves a town with a population of 1,500 and a 

response area of 30 square miles. In 2016, the fire department responded to approximately 200 

incidents. The incidents included:
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• 3 structure fires

• 10 wildland urban interface fires

• 12 vehicle extrications

• 10 vehicle accidents with injuries.

The remainder of the incidents were responses to assist EMS and service related calls.

The fire department has approximately 30 - 35 members on the roster with 15 -18 active members. 

The fire department holds business meetings on the 1st Monday of each month and training is 

conducted on the 3rd Monday of the month, but is not mandatory. Members of the fire department 

attend fire school twice a year in the county, which is sponsored by the Mississippi State Fire Academy 

located in Jackson, MS.

The fire department operates the following apparatus and vehicles.

Designation Year Type of Apparatus

Engine 1 2007 Custom Pumper

Rescue 1 2008 Pick-Up

Tanker 1 2006 3500 gallon Tanker w/pump

Tanker 2 1990 2000 gallon Tanker

Engine 2 2009 1250 GPM Pumper/1000 gallon tank

Rescue 2 2016 Command/EMS vehicle

Training and Experience

The Mississippi State Fire Academy (MSFA) was established in 1974. The fire academy has 63 fulltime employees and 84 adjunct instructors. The state of Mississippi has 16,300 fire fighters, of which 

approximately 3000 fire fighters are career. The fire academy trains approximately 15,000 students 

annually and offers more than 90 courses. These courses are offered on campus or off-site through the 

field delivery program. The Mississippi State Fire Academy offers training via fire schools as part of 

the off-site delivery program. These fire schools take place locally in the first and third quarter of the 

year.

The state of Mississippi has no requirements for becoming a volunteer fire fighter. There are 82 

counties in Mississippi, of which approximately half are Mississippi certified through the volunteer fire 

fighter program. The volunteer fire fighter program consists of Mississippi Certified Volunteer Fire 

Fighter I - Module 1(Classroom and Practical - 80 hours); Mississippi Certified Volunteer Fire Fighter 

I - Module 2 (Skills Exam – 8 hours); Mississippi Certified Volunteer Fire Fighter II - Module 
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1(Classroom and Practical – 30 hours); and the Mississippi Certified Volunteer Fire Fighter II -

Module 2 (Skills Exam – 8 hours) are offered 4 times a year at the MSFA. For career fire fighters, the 

Mississippi State Fire Academy offers a 7-week program on campus.

The deputy chief that was killed had 47 years’ experience with the fire department. The deputy chief 

had served as fire chief of the department for 15 years from 1981 to 1996. The department’s fire 

station was named for him in 2006. His training included: LP Gas Tactics; volunteer fire fighter 

school (10 years); Waterous fire pump maintenance; Recognizing And Identifying Hazardous 

Materials; apparatus operations; auto extrication; fireground support operations; IS-700.A: National 

Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction; and the Mississippi State Fire Academy’s 

National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training Program course (12 hours) in October 

2016. His fire training totaled over 181 credit hours and 40 EMS credit hours.

The fire fighter that was killed had approximately 2 years’ experience with 3 different fire 

departments. Her training and certifications included CPR/AED First Responder; Mississippi State Fire 

Academy’s National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training Program course (12 hours) in 

October 2016; Pipeline Emergency Response; IS100: Introduction to ICS; IS200: Basic ICS; IS-700.A: 

National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction; and IS-800.B: National Response 

Framework, An Introduction.

The injured fire fighter had approximately 20 years’ experience as a fire fighter and approximately 6

years’ experience as an EMT. His training and certifications included: structural fire attack; state 

volunteer certification – Level 1, classroom preparation; state certified volunteer fire fighter – Level 1; 

and auto extrication. He had fire training totaling over 70 credit hours and 28 EMS credit hours. 

The fire chief has approximately 20 years’ experience as a fire fighter, and has served as fire chief for

the past 6 years. His training and certifications included: volunteer fire school (5 years); pump 

maintenance; Recognizing And Identifying Hazardous Materials; structural fire attack; state volunteer 

certification – Level 1, classroom preparation; auto extrication; foam response; Certified Rural Fire 

Apparatus – Driver/Operator; fire fighter safety; Mississippi Volunteer Fire Fighter 1 – Module 1; 

Fire Academy for Elected/Public Officials; Mississippi Volunteer Fire Fighter 1 – Module 2; Certified 

Fireground Resource Technician – Module 1; Certified Fireground Resource Technician – Module 2; 

Mississippi Fire Prevention and Public Fire Safety Education; Response to New Vehicle Fires; Basic 

Aerial Operations – Annual Refresher; Fire Attack for the Modern Era; National Fallen Fire Fighters, 

Everyone Goes Home; and the Mississippi State Fire Academy’s National Traffic Incident 

Management Responder Training Program course (12 hours) in October 2016. The fire chief has over 

320 hours of training in firefighting and over 90 EMS credit hours.

Equipment and Personnel

The county 9-1-1 dispatch center dispatches for county fire, the county sheriff’s office, four municipal

police departments, and emergency medical services. The 9-1-1 center employs one director, 14 full-
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time dispatchers, and 1 part-time dispatcher. The minimum staffing is 3 dispatchers. The shifts are 

0530 – 1730 hours and 1730 – 0530 hours. Dispatchers rotate work schedules. The first week of the 

pay cycle is 2 days on 2 days off. The second week of pay cycle is 3 days on 3 days off. Dispatchers 

rotate through 4 stations: Sheriff, municipal police/Fire, and EMS. The training and certification 

programs come from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). 

The radio system is a 700 MHz radio system. For fireground operations, the incident commander 

requests a tactical channel when assuming command. Fire departments have 3 tactical channels 

available. The county fire service had no Mayday policy at the time of the investigation. 

Incident Scene

The incident occurred at an intersection of a state highway and county road. Across the street from the 

intersection was a vacant lot north of a dental clinic. A dump truck had dumped a load of dirt in the

vacant lot. The driver of the dump truck was putting the dump bed down as he was entering the state 

highway. The bed of the dump truck pulled down telephone lines. The telephone lines and the power 

lines were on the northeast side of the roadway. The initial assessment was the dump truck pulled 

down power lines, but it was later determined the lines on the ground and dump truck were telephone 

lines (See Photo 1). When the dump truck struck the telephone lines, the power lines were impacted 

enough to cause a power outage in the area. This generated the response from the power company, 

which was requested by the fire department.
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Timeline

The following timeline is a summary of events that occurred as the incident evolved. Not all incident 

events are included in this timeline. The times are approximate and were obtained by studying the 

dispatch records, audio recordings, witness statements, and other available information. This timeline 

also lists the changing indicators and conditions reported, as well as fire department response and 

operations. All times are approximate and rounded to the closest minute. 

Dispatch Communications & Fire 

Department Response

Time Fireground Communications & 

Fireground Operations

The county Dispatch Center received a 

9-1-1 call for a dump truck entangled in 

power lines. Incident is dispatched to 

the 1st due volunteer fire department.

1700

Hours

Photo 1. The incident area where the telephone lines were 

pulled down and a power outage occurred.

(Adapted from Google Earth® satellite image.)
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Dispatch Communications & Fire 

Department Response

Time Fireground Communications & 

Fireground Operations

The department’s fire chief and injured 

fire fighter were enroute to incident 

scene in the fire chief’s POV. 

1701

Hours

Rescue 1 responded to the incident. 1702 

Hours

Fire Chief and fire fighter arrived on 

scene.

1705 

Hours

The fire chief advised the 

county Dispatch Center that fire 

department personnel would 

provide traffic control.

The county Dispatch Center notified 

the power company to respond to this 

incident due to a power outage. The 

county Dispatch Center also contacted 

the telephone company.

1707 

Hours

Rescue 1 and a city police officer 

arrived on scene.

1719 

Hours

The female fire fighter from the 1st due 

fire department arrived on-scene in her 

POV.

1724 

Hours

The power company arrived on-scene. 1749 

Hours

2nd city police officer arrived on-scene. 1759 

Hours

The dump truck was released and 

cleared the scene. 

1805 

Hours
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Dispatch Communications & Fire 

Department Response

Time Fireground Communications & 

Fireground Operations

Two city police officers cleared the 

scene. 

1810

Hours

1816

Hours

The fire chief walked to the dirt 

driveway to meet with a power 

company supervisor regarding 

if the services of the fire 

department were still needed.

At this time, the power 

company representative asked 

for assistance from the fire 

department with traffic control.

1818 

Hours

A vehicle drove through the 

emergency scene striking three 

fire fighters. The power 

company representative 

witnessed the crash.

1819 

Hours

The fire chief radioed the 

county Dispatch Center. He

advised three fire fighters had 

been struck.

The county Dispatch Center dispatched 

Medic 3 to incident scene. Medic 2 

also responded due to time and 

distance.

1820 

Hours

The county Dispatch Center dispatched

city, county, and state law enforcement 

to the incident scene. 

1821 

Hours
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Dispatch Communications & Fire 

Department Response

Time Fireground Communications & 

Fireground Operations

1823 

Hours

A volunteer fire chief blocked 

the intersection with his POV. 

Civilians and fire fighters 

started patient care on the 

injured fire fighter. 

City police officers arrived on scene. 1825 

Hours

Medic 2 arrived on scene. Medic 3 

cancelled.

1838 

Hours

Paramedic pronounced the 

deputy chief and female fire 

fighter deceased.

A homeowner called 9-1-1 to report the 

suspect vehicle had stopped in front of 

his home. The homeowner had the 

suspect detained in the vehicle at 

gunpoint.

1839 

Hours

Medic 2 transported the injured fire 

fighter to the local trauma center. The 

fire chief also was transported by 

Medic 2 for evaluation at the trauma 

center. 

1855 

Hours

Medic 2 arrived at hospital with fire 

chief and fire fighter 2.

1916 

Hours

The county coroner arrived on-scene. 1933 

Hours

Scene is cleared 2048 

Hours
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Personal Protective Equipment

None of the three fire fighters were wearing turnout gear at the time of the incident. The three fire 

fighters were dressed in street clothes and were each wearing a high visibility traffic vest. Photo 2

shows a high visibility traffic vest similar to the ones the fire fighters were wearing.

Weather Conditions

The weather temperature at 1655 hours was 53 degrees Fahrenheit (53o F). The humidity was 28% and 

the barometric pressure was 30.37 inches. Visibility was 10 miles and the winds were 10.4 miles per 

hour from the north. The skies were clear and no precipitation was reported in the previous 24 hours 

[Weather Underground 2017]. The weather was not a factor in this incident.

Investigation 

On March 15, 2017, at approximately 1659 hours, the county 9-1-1 Center received a call reporting a 

dump truck entangled in power lines at the intersection of a state highway and county road. At 1700 

hours, the 1st due fire chief radioed the county Dispatch Center and advised them of the incident with 

Photo 2. A high visibility traffic vest similar to the ones the fire 

fighters were wearing.

(Photo Source: World Wide Web.)
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the dump truck. At 1701 hours, the fire department was dispatched to a report of a dump truck pulling 

down power lines and the power was out in the area. The operator of the dump truck was driving on a 

dirt driveway and was putting the bed down when the truck pulled down telephone lines. The 

telephone wires were entangled around the bed of the dump truck (See Diagram 1). The power lines 

were pulled hard enough to cause a transformer to fail and cause a power outage in the area. Also, the 

power pole near the dump truck was leaning several feet. At 1702 hours, the fire chief and a fire 

fighter responded to the incident scene in the fire chief’s privately owned vehicle (POV). They arrived 

on the scene at 1705 hours. The fire chief advised the county Dispatch Center that the fire department 

would provide traffic control. The department’s deputy chief responded to the scene in Rescue 1 at 

1702 hours. Rescue 1 arrived on the scene at the same time as a city police officer at 1719 hours. Once 

an initial size up was conducted, the deputy chief moved Rescue 1 to the curve in the southbound lane 

to provide warning lighting for northbound traffic coming around the curve on the state highway. 

While trying to determine if the fire department was going to clear the incident, the deputy chief drove 

Rescue 1 to the driveway at the entrance of the county road and state highway (See Diagram 2). 

The female fire fighter arrived in her POV at 1724 hours. At 1749 hours, the power company arrived 

with a repair crew and supervisor. Another city police officer arrived on scene at 1759 hours. At 

approximately 1805 hours, the dump truck cleared the scene. At approximately 1810 hours, the two 

city police officers cleared the scene. 

At approximately 1816 hours, fire chief walked across the street to talk to the power company 

supervisor. The fire chief was hoping to clear all fire department resources. The power company 

representative asked if the fire department could stay on scene and provide traffic control. At 1818 

hours, a civilian operating a personally owned vehicle was driving south on the state highway. The 

civilian went through the intersection where the deputy chief, female fire fighter, and a male fire 

fighter were standing. The fire fighters were standing in a dirt area which was at the intersection

between the state highway and county road (See Diagram 3). The vehicle struck the deputy chief first. 

He was thrown onto the vehicle, pushing the windshield inward and collapsing the roof of the vehicle

near the “A” Post. He was carried approximately 125 feet before he fell off the vehicle onto the 

roadway. The female fire fighter was struck and thrown approximately 60 feet south and landed in the 

roadway. The other fire fighter was struck and knocked to the ground near where he was standing. 

Note: The description of the vehicle striking the fire fighters was provided by the city’s police 

department. The power company supervisor was facing the fire fighters and witnessed the incident. 

The fire chief also witnessed the incident, immediately notified the county Dispatch Center of the 

incident and a description of the vehicle, and then went to check on the three fire fighters. The fire 

chief advised the fire dispatcher that two fire fighters were deceased and one fire fighter was injured. 

The county dispatch center dispatched law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services to the 

scene at 1820 hours (See Diagram 4).
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Diagram 1. The location of the dump truck that pulled down telephone 

lines and caused a power outage due to blown transformer.
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Diagram 2. The initial fire department traffic control operations.
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Diagram 3. The location of fire department members prior to the crash.
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Diagram 4. The location of fire department members after they were 

struck. The deputy chief and female fire fighter were deceased.
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The driver of the vehicle that struck the fire fighters continued south on the county road. The driver 

and vehicle were located approximately 6 miles from the incident scene. Law enforcement officer 

arrested the driver who was charged with hit-and-run, causing death, plus additional charges of three 

counts of aggravated driving under the influence (DUI). The driver had a previous record and is a 

convicted felon, with charges from multiple counties in Mississippi.

Numerous fire service personnel responded to the incident, which quickly overwhelmed the fire 

dispatcher. There was no accurate count of the number of personnel on scene. At approximately 1830 

hours, a volunteer fire chief from a county fire department arrived on scene and assumed Command. 

He got the state highway closed in both directions. Traffic was diverted to a parallel residential street 

which allowed traffic to bypass the incident scene. There were several civilians that stopped and 

assisted the injured fire fighter. At 1838 hours, Medic 2 arrived on scene. The paramedic from Medic 2 

pronounced the deputy chief and female fire fighter deceased. The driver of Medic 2 with the help of 

advanced life support (ALS) personnel on scene initiated treatment to the injured fire fighter. Medic 2 

transported the injured fire fighter and the fire chief to the local trauma center at 1855 hours. Medic 2 

arrived at the trauma center at 1916 hours. At 1933 hours, the county coroner arrived on scene to 

pronounce the deputy chief and the female fire fighter legally deceased. He then transported the two 

deceased fire fighters to the county morgue. 

All units were clear of the scene at 2048 hours.

Contributing Factors

Occupational injuries and fatalities are often the result of one or more contributing factors or key 

events in a larger sequence of events that ultimately result in the injury or fatality. NIOSH 

investigators identified the following items as key contributing factors in this incident that ultimately 

led to the fatalities:

• Alleged impaired civilian driver 

• Lack of an incident action plan

• Inadequate temporary traffic control zone 

• Lack of traffic incident management 

• Lack of SOPs/SOGs on Traffic Incident Management

• Lack of training on highway/roadway traffic incident management.

Cause of Death

According to the death certificate, the medical examiner listed the cause of death for the both the 

deputy chief and the female fire fighter as blunt force trauma.
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Recommendations

Recommendation #1: Fire departments should develop pre-incident plans regarding deployment for 

highway/roadway incidents. These pre-incident plans should include establishing a temporary 

traffic control zone, maintaining scene safety, ensuring situational awareness, and proper traffic 

control for highway/roadway emergency work zones.

Discussion: Highway/Roadway incidents are high risk events regardless of the frequency in which they 

occur. When responding to an incident on any type of highway/roadway, fire fighters and other first 

responders must ensure for their personal safety as well as others plus the individuals they are trying to 

assist. Complacency, redundancy, and lack of situational awareness are issues that all responders must 

avoid when dealing with highway/roadway incidents. Safety of the emergency responders, care of the 

injured, protection of the public, protection of the environment, and clearance of the traffic lanes 

should all be the priority concerns of the incident commander operating at the scene of a 

highway/roadway incident [DCFEMS 2009].

There are various types of highways/roadways that a fire department responds to in their response area. 

Examples can be a city street (2 or 4 lanes), county road (2 or 4 lanes), a divided highway (4 lanes), an 

expressway, freeway, turnpike, or interstate which are commonly known as limited access highways. 

The fire department has to plan how and what resources to deploy to these various types of 

highways/roadways. 

From a pre-incident planning process, the fire department has to consider the type of responses that 

may occur on these various highways/roadways such as motor vehicle crashes, vehicle fires, brush 

fires, hazardous materials incidents, and any other conceivable type of incident. The intent is to plan on 

what resources will respond in order to mitigate the problem which has occurred and how to safely 

protect fire fighters and the other first responders [USFA 2012].

The primary objectives for any operation at the scene of a highway incident are to: 

• establish a safe operating area to prevent injuries to emergency workers; 

• provide emergency care and transportation of the sick or injured; 

• establish water supply, as needed; 

• protect the environment; 

• restore normal traffic flow, as soon as possible; 

• keep as many traffic lanes open as possible if it is safe for the emergency responders, those 

involved in the incident, and those traveling through the incident

• preserve evidence for investigators; 

• use the Incident Command System to manage the incident [NOVA Region 2012].

These objectives also are included in the National Unified Goal (NUG) for Traffic Incident 

Management which was developed by the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition [ERSI 

2008b]. The primary objective is to protect the first responders in order to allow them to safely operate 
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at the incident scene. This process starts with the first arriving officer making the decision as to what 

lanes to close or if the highway/roadway needs to be completely closed. This is based upon the risk 

assessment for ensuring that first responders have a safe work area to operate including those involved 

in the incident and those traveling through the incident.

All responders should understand and appreciate the high risk they are exposed to when operating in or 

near moving vehicular traffic. At every highway/roadway-related emergency scene, personnel are 

exposed to passing motorists of varying driving abilities. Situational awareness can be defined as 

genuinely heightened consciousness or cognizance of what is currently developing or occurring around 

you. It is crucial that first responders maintain good situational awareness during all emergencies, 

especially highway/roadway incidents to better protect themselves and those around them.

Fire fighters and other first responders need to be constantly reminded to use caution while operating 

on highways/roadways. Company officers need to remind fire fighters to exit the apparatus safely and, 

above all else, to keep an eye out for any potential hazards. In some cases, additional staffing may be 

needed to provide sufficient supervision of tasks, scene safety, and scene management. This may 

include a full alarm assignment to ensure for adequate staffing including a battalion chief and a safety 

officer.

Approaching vehicles may be driven at speeds from a creeping pace to well beyond the posted speed 

limit. Some of these vehicle operators may be vision impaired, under the influence of alcohol and/or 

drugs, or have a medical condition that affects their judgment or abilities. In addition, motorists may be 

completely oblivious to first responders’ presence due to distractions caused by cell phone use, loud 

music, conversations, inclement weather, and terrain or building obstructions. Approaching motorists 

will often be looking at the scene and not the roadway in front of them. Nighttime incidents requiring 

personnel to work in or near moving traffic are particularly hazardous. Visibility is reduced and driver 

reaction time to hazards in the roadway is slowed [NOVA Region 2012].

To ensure that first responders maintain situational awareness, they must understand the strategy and 

incident action plan, which must be communicated from the Incident Commander at the beginning of 

the incident and maintained throughout duration of the incident. This ensures for effective strategic, 

tactical, and task level management, plus all tasks being conducted are moving towards a successful 

outcome for the incident. At highway/roadway incidents, this is essential due to the fact that the 

potential for something to go wrong can occur very quickly. Each first responder is responsible for 

their safety plus the personnel they are working with. This protects against complacency and tunnel 

vision. The operations at a highway/roadway incident must be reassessed continuously, especially as 

incident objectives are met, as additional resources arrive, and/or resources are released from the 

incident [DCFEMS [2009].
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Safety Benchmarks 

Emergency personnel are at great risk while operating in or around moving traffic. There are 

approaches that can be taken to protect yourself and all crewmembers: 

• never trust the traffic; 

• engage in proper blocking procedures (which means using the positioning of fire apparatus as a 

protection barrier for fire fighters and other first responders when working on a 

highway/roadway); 

• wear high-visibility reflective vests including turnout gear (as necessary); 

• reducing white lights and warning lights (to prevent possible motorist vision impairment)

[FHWA 2009b]; 

• use traffic cones and flares [NOVA Region 2012].

NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program, 

Chapter 9, Traffic Incident Management, requires a fire department to establish, implement, and 

enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding emergency operations involving traffic

[NFPA 2018].The first arriving officer must conduct a complete and thorough scene size-up to 

determine the risk to the fire fighters, EMS personnel and law enforcement officers working an

incident.

For additional information, see Appendix One – Traffic Incident Management Guide, Appendix 

Two – Sample Traffic Control Scenario and Appendix Three - Sample Highway Roadway 

SOP/SOG.

At this incident, the deputy chief and two fire fighters were standing in a dirt area at the intersection of 

the state highway and county road. Other than wearing traffic vests, there was no scene safety 

perimeters established indicating an emergency incident scene. A civilian vehicle going south on the 

state highway struck the three fire fighters at a significant rate of speed. One option for scene safety 

would be to have the three fire fighters off the county roadway out of the path of traffic.

Recommendation #2: Fire departments should ensure that all members receive training for 

conducting emergency operations at highway/roadway incidents. 

Discussion: With the development and implementation of any new policy, standard operating 

procedure, or regulation, one of the essential elements is to ensure that training occurs. The intent is to 

provide a comprehensive training program for all members. This ensures the members understand the 

policy, standard operating procedure, or regulation and to alleviate any confusion, misinterpretation, or 

misunderstanding. 

The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI)/Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s 

Association, offers a curriculum entitled “Managing Emergency Incidents on the Roadway” [ERSI
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2008a].This is an on-line eight-hour course which covers the following topics: fire fighter fatality and 

injury statistics related to highway/roadway incidents; case studies dealing with fire fighter fatalities, 

injuries, and near misses; types and use of personal protective equipment; federal regulations (e.g. 

Section 6I - Control of Traffic through Traffic Incident Management Areas of the Manual on Uniform 

Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)) [FHWA 2009a]; positioning of apparatus and emergency vehicles; 

safety procedures for operations on highway/roadways; use of traffic signs and warning devices, use of 

the Incident Command System including Unified Command; pre-incident planning with law 

enforcement, state/local Department of Transportation, emergency medical services, tow and recovery 

operators, product recovery contractors; and table top exercises. This training program is available 

through http://www.respondersafety.com at no cost. 

The ResponderSafety.com Learning Network online program has been accepted by the Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA) Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP II) after completing 

the following ten modules:

1. Advanced Warning

2. Blocking Procedures and Roadway Incidents

3. High Visibility Innovations

4. Manual on Uniformed Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)

5. Move it or Work it

6. See and be seen: Emergency lighting awareness

7. Special Circumstances: Safe operations for vehicle fires

8. Special Hazards

9. Termination

10. Traffic Incident Management: Incident command and management

Proper training in traffic control can be obtained from local or state highway departments, law 

enforcement, and other agencies involved with controlling the roadway traffic. This training should 

comply with NFPA 1091, Standard for Traffic Control Incident Management Professional 

Qualifications, for personnel who operate on or about roadways mitigating an incident [NFPA 2015].

The training process will allow for members to determine the correct course of action at an incident 

scene including the proper staffing, appropriate agencies needed to respond, and deployment of 

resources to effectively control traffic until the situation has been mitigated.

According to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), traffic incidents can be 

divided into three general classes of duration, each of which has unique traffic control characteristics 

and needs. These classes are listed below: 

• Major - expected duration of more than 2 hours; 

• Intermediate - expected duration of 30 minutes to 2 hours; 

• Minor - expected duration under 30 minutes [FHWA 2009a].
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Major traffic incidents are typically traffic incidents involving hazardous materials, fatal traffic crashes 

involving numerous vehicles, and other natural or man-made disasters. These traffic incidents typically 

involve closing all or part of a roadway facility for a period exceeding 2 hours. It is important that all 

first responders have a good working relationship and compatible procedures when operating at 

highway/roadway incidents. At a minimum, at least one lane next to the incident lane must be closed

(lane +1). Additional or all traffic lanes may have to be closed if the extra lane does not provide a safe 

barrier. Fire apparatus and other emergency vehicles must be placed between the flow of traffic and the 

personnel working on the incident to act as a blocking vehicle. Fire apparatus must be parked at a 30 –

45 degree angle so that the operator is protected from traffic by the tailboard. Front wheels must be 

turned away from the responders working highway incidents so that the apparatus will not be driven 

into them if struck from behind. Also, consider parking additional emergency vehicles 150 to 200 feet 

behind the blocking vehicles to act as an additional barrier between responders and the flow of traffic.

Advanced warning devices and transition areas are a means by which fire fighters and other first 

responders can convey information to motorists approaching an incident scene, referred to as the 

“advance warning area.” Warning devices in the advance warning area may vary from a single sign or 

high-intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe lights on a vehicle to a series of signs in advance 

of the incident scene [ERSI 2008a]. 

NFPA 1500, Paragraph 9.4.5 states, “The following warning devices shall be used to warn oncoming 

traffic of the emergency operations and the hazards to member(s) operating at the incident:

• A minimum of 5 (five) 28 in. or greater (71 cm or greater) fluorescent orange traffic cones with 

double reflective markings that are compliant with the MUTCD.

• Retro-reflective warning signs compliant with the MUTCD [NFPA 2018; MUTCD 2012].

The importance of understanding standard operating procedures and the pre-incident planning process 

for highway/roadway emergency operations is essential for the safety of all first responders. All fire 

fighters have to understand the risks involved when conducting emergency operations on any 

highway/roadway. The intent is to identify and reduce the hazards encountered by fire fighters and first 

responders at highway/roadway incidents. The training process will allow for members to determine 

the correct course of action at an incident scene including the proper staffing, appropriate agencies 

needed to respond, and deployment of resources to effectively control traffic until the situation has 

been mitigated. The approximate duration of an incident, the severity and risks of the incident, the 

amount of resources needed to mitigate the incident, and ability to provide detours should be 

considered if the highway/roadway must be completely closed and allowing the hazard to be mitigated.

For additional information, see Appendix One – Traffic Incident Management Guide, Appendix 

Two – Sample Traffic Control Scenario and Appendix Three - Sample Highway Roadway 

SOP/SOG.
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At this incident, the fire chief, deputy chief, and female fire fighter had completed Mississippi State 

Fire Academy’s National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training Program course in 

October 2016. This course was developed by the Federal Highway Administration [FHWA 2013].

Recommendation #3: Fire departments should ensure that a continuous scene size-up is conducted 

and risks are continuously assessed and managed throughout a highway/roadway incident.

Discussion: It’s important for all emergency responders to remember that things can go very wrong 

very quickly at roadway emergency incidents. Fire departments need to ensure that multiple prevention 

strategies are in place and emergency responders must maintain an awareness of what is going on 

around them at all times. Fire departments should train members on how to identify and pre-plan an 

escape strategy should they encounter a dangerous situation such as an errant vehicle entering the 

emergency work zone.

Being alert to what is going on around a roadway emergency incident is extremely critical because 

roadway incidents are always high risk events. Complacency, redundancy, and lack of situational 

awareness are issues that all responders must avoid. When responding to a roadway emergency 

incident, fire fighters and other first responders must ensure their personal safety, as well as the safety 

of individuals they are trying to assist. Emergency personnel need to develop a heightened sense of 

awareness to detect impending dangerous situations and recognize warning signals such as screeching 

tires, horns, smoke or dust, and the sound of a crash or impact. Another important issue is for the 

incident commander to appoint a “Spotter” at every roadway incident where members are working and 

not continuously watching traffic. A spotter is responsible for watching traffic at all times and will 

warn members prior to an incident happening. This is an extra safety function for a highway/roadway 

incident. The spotter is equipped with an air horn bottle to warn members. Responders need to do a 

quick survey of the location where they are working and mentally prepare an escape strategy [IAFF 

2010].

Fire fighters and other first responders should operate defensively with an awareness of the high risk 

associated with working near moving traffic. Fire fighters and other first responders cannot rely on 

approaching motorists to see them, slow down, and/or move over. Motorists may ignore traffic signs 

and regulations for various reasons, including poor visibility, distraction, falling sleep or fatigue, being 

under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and/or because of a medical condition that affects their 

judgment or abilities. All first responders must maintain situational awareness at all times to what is 

going on around them. 

It is imperative that an effective incident management system is operational with an incident action 

plan (IAP) in place from the first arrival of resources until all units are cleared. To ensure a standard 

outcome of each incident, the incident commander should match the standard conditions to standard 
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actions. This is the core of the incident command system and is the basis for all operations. Standard 

conditions are identified as the incident’s current critical factors:

• Identify the incident’s critical factors before taking any action. 

• Initial and ongoing size-up of the incident’s critical factors must produce the information that 

becomes the basis for the current incident strategy and IAP. 

• Current, accurate, and relevant information provides the foundation for effective initial and 

ongoing action.

• The goal of this systematic evaluation process continually produces standard, safe, wellmanaged incident outcomes [MABAS 2017].

Equally important to properly establishing or setting up a TTC zone and associated traffic control is 

safely releasing resources and demobilizing the scene. This activity includes demobilizing and 

releasing equipment, personnel, and response vehicles. All responders must exercise care when 

demobilizing, particularly if other responders remain present. In order to maintain safety, the Incident 

Commander must be notified of any responders departing the scene and the equipment or response 

vehicles that will be removed with them. Once any victims, crashed vehicles, spills, and associated 

debris have been removed, the Incident Commander must also monitor and control scene 

demobilization while recognizing the dangers of changing conditions and traffic returning to normal 

flow, oftentimes at high speeds. This is especially important for scene demobilization during nighttime 

or reduced visibility conditions. It is very important to demobilize the scene from the termination 

area backwards to the advance warning area [WDOT 2012].

Other important scene demobilizing considerations: 

• Temporary traffic control or blocking may be required for responder departure (e.g., ambulances, 

towing and recovery). 

• As responders depart, be aware that other responders may still be present. 

• Blocking vehicles (e.g., fire apparatus, law enforcement vehicles, department of transportation 

vehicles) may no longer be present and the “safe” area may no longer be intact. Never turn your 

back to traffic and always watch for errant vehicles entering the scene.

• Frustrated motorists who have been delayed by the incident may be particularly aggressive and 

drive at higher speeds or weave into lanes that appear to be open. 

• If possible, position a vehicle with its emergency vehicle lighting activated upstream of responders 

who are removing traffic control devices. 

At the completion of any incident, the Incident Commander must ensure for the safety of the responders 

who remain on scene. When an incident scene has been fully cleared and all on-scene response is complete, 

the Incident Commander should ensure that the appropriate agencies (including communications/dispatch 

centers) have been notified that the roadway is open (See Appendix 3) [WDOT 2012].
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For additional information, see Appendix One – Traffic Incident Management Guide, Appendix 

Two – Sample Traffic Control Scenario and Appendix Three - Sample Highway Roadway 

SOP/SOG.

At this incident, the incident was deescalating. The fire chief was discussing with a power company 

supervisor, the need for fire department resources to remain on scene. The fire chief and the power 

company representative were standing on the northeast side of the state highway. The three fire 

fighters were standing in the fork of the road where the state highway and county road split. A civilian 

vehicle going south on the state highway approached the scene. The injured fire fighter saw the vehicle 

approaching on Highway 589 and then the incident occurred. It is unknown whether the other two fire 

fighters saw the vehicle approaching.

Recommendation #4: Fire departments should utilize the incident command system for effective 

command and control of highway/roadway incidents including the strategy and incident action plan.

Discussion: Emergency operations involving highway/roadway incidents can require a significant 

amount of resources, require the response of numerous agencies, can be of significant duration, and 

require effective and efficient incident management. The intent of this process is to ensure the early 

implementation of Command and a smooth escalation of the organization to meet the demands of any 

highway/roadway incident regardless of the size and complexity [NFPA 2014]. On highway/roadway 

incidents, experience has proven a critical necessity of integrating response agencies into one 

operational organization, managed and supported by one command structure. 

The eight Functions of Command define standard activities that are performed by the incident 

commander to achieve the tactical priorities [Brunacini 2002]. The eight Functions of Command 

include: 

• Assume and announce command and establish an effective operating position (Incident 

Command Post); 

• Rapidly evaluate the situation (size up); 

• Initiate, maintain, and control the communications process; 

• Identify the overall strategy, develop an Incident Action Plan, and assign companies and 

personnel consistent with plans and standard operating guidelines; 

• Develop an effective ICS organization; 

• Provide tactical objectives; 

• Review, evaluate, and revise (as needed) the strategy and Incident Action Plan; 

• Provide for the continuity, transfer, and termination of command [Brunacini 2002]. 

The incident commander is responsible for all of these functions. As command is transferred, so is the 

responsibility for these functions. The first six functions must be addressed immediately from the

initial assumption of command [NFPA 2014].
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The first responder (law enforcement, fire service, EMS, and/or transportation) to arrive at the scene 

should assume Command of the incident. The initial incident commander should remain in command 

until command is transferred or the incident is stabilized and terminated. The first-arriving responder 

on the scene must initiate whatever parts of the Incident Command System are needed to effectively 

manage the incident scene. The exact actions undertaken will vary depending on the type or scope of 

the incident:

• A single-resource incident (single-patient medical incident, traffic collision with minor injuries, 

disabled vehicle, property damage collision, etc.) may only require that the initial Incident 

Commander provide a size-up report and acknowledge its arrival on the scene. 

• For incidents that require the commitment of multiple companies, the first responder or 

member on the scene must establish and announce Command and initiate an incident 

management structure appropriate for the incident [FIRESCOPE 2015].

The first-arriving responder activates the command process by giving an initial size-up report. A 

traditional size-up report based on standard incident command practices would include the following 

information: 

• designation of the resource arriving on the scene; 

• a brief description of the incident situation (e.g., haz mat release, multivehicle crash, guardrail 

damage, etc.); 

• verify the exact location of the incident including route identification, direction of travel, 

closest intersection, milepost or landmark, and lane(s) and/or shoulder affected; 

• obvious conditions (hazardous materials spill, multiple patients, working fire, bridge collapse, 

etc.); 

• brief description of action taken (e.g., “Squad 65 is setting up a temporary traffic control”); 

• declaration of the strategy or standardized operation (e.g., traffic stop, vehicle tow, tire change) 

to be used; 

• any obvious safety concerns; 

• assumption, identification, and location of command; 

• request or release resources as required [NFSIMSC 2004].

This information should then be formed into a concise verbal report that is transmitted to the agency’s 

dispatch center or control center, as well as the other responders who are enroute to the scene and 

monitoring the radio frequency. 

Much of the confusion and conflict that has occurred between emergency responders in the past has 

not only been caused by a lack of understanding on what various responders roles were, but also on the 

failure to agree on the tactical priorities of the incident. All agencies involved in the response to 

incidents on the roadway should work together to develop a basic agreement on the order of tactical 

priorities for these operations. While the tactical priorities may vary somewhat from jurisdiction to 

jurisdiction, the following model is a good place to start: 
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• Establish Command and Communications; 

• Establish a Safe Work Zone; 

 Responder Safety 

 Scene Safety

 Traffic Safety 

• Incident Mitigation; 

• Facilitate Investigation/Evidence Protection;

• Vehicle/Debris/Cargo Removal; 

• Incident Termination [NFSIMSC 2004].

At this incident, no formal incident command was established until after the three fire fighters were 

struck by the civilian vehicle. 

Recommendation #5: Fire departments should ensure that the incident commander develops and 

communicates the strategy and incident action plan (tactics) during the initial stages of the incident.

Discussion: The incident commander must determine a strategy and then develop the incident action 

plan (IAP) to ensure that the proper actions take control of any incident. The incident commander must 

follow the decision making model that includes identifying incident critical factors (through a 

situational evaluation or “size up”), consider the standard risk management plan, declare the strategy,

and then set tactical objectives. This model will lead to the development of the IAP, which serves as 

the tactical road map to effectively manage the incident. The IAP defines where and when resources 

will be assigned throughout the incident, along with tasks and objectives [NFPA 2014].

To ensure a standard outcome of each incident, the incident commander should match the standard 

conditions to standard actions. This is the core of the incident command system and is the basis for all 

operations. Standard conditions are identified as the incident’s current critical factors:

• Identify the incident’s critical factors before taking any action. 

• Initial and ongoing size-up of the incident’s critical factors must produce the information that 

becomes the basis for the current incident strategy and IAP. 

• Current, accurate, and relevant information provides the foundation for effective initial and 

ongoing action.

• The goal of this systematic evaluation process continually produces standard, safe, wellmanaged incident outcomes [MABAS 2017].

The IAP should match the defined strategy established by the incident commander for a particular 

incident. The defined strategy describes the overall approach to incident operations and drives the IAP. 

The IAP provides the tactical assignments required to achieve the tactical objectives. The order of 

occurrence is key—the strategic goals are developed first and then followed by the tactical objectives. 

At each incident, the incident commander should start with a standard placement-oriented operational 

plan that develops a strong, dependable beginning for command and control of the incident. While 
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developing the strategic goal for the incident is the first component, the incident commander needs to 

produce detailed tactical objectives that can be assigned to responding companies or resources. This is 

the purpose of the IAP [Brunacini 2002; NOVA Region 2013]. The initial incident commander, most 

often, is a company officer who arrives on-scene prior to a chief officer. The company officer should 

provide a detailed size-up, which is communicated to all responding resources including the dispatch 

center. The company officer assumes command and makes a decision regarding the strategy and IAP. 

The company officer may not have the ability or time to record the IAP on paper and provide 

documentation when transferring command. In this case, a verbal IAP is appropriate. As with this or 

any incident, events can occur very quickly before a detailed tactical worksheet or written IAP is 

developed [Brunacini 2002] (See Diagram 5).

The IAP can be as simple as a verbal transmission to all units assigned to an incident. The responding 

chief officer should be monitoring radio communications and documenting tactical objectives on a 

tactical worksheet if possible. When the chief officer arrives on-scene, an update from the initial 

incident commander can occur (face-to-face or by radio). The chief officer will then assume command 

at a stationary location. By following this process, the initial and subsequent incident commanders will 

be in a stronger position to manage an incident should an emergency event occur [NFPA 2014].
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NFPA 1561 defines an IAP as a verbal plan, tactical worksheet, written plan, or combinations thereof

that reflects the overall incident strategy, tactics, risk management, and member safety that are 

developed by the incident commander. NFPA 1561, Standard on Emergency Services Incident 

Management System and Command Safety [NFPA 2014] requires the following regarding an incident 

action plan:

• 5.3.12.1 The incident commander shall be responsible for developing and/or approving an 

incident action plan (IAP).

• 5.3.12.2 This IAP shall be communicated to all staged and assigned members at an incident.

• 5.3.20 The incident commander shall be responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and revising the 

IAP and overall strategy of the incident.

Diagram 5. A guide for developing an incident action plan at highway/roadway incidents. 

For these types of incidents, the incident action plan is most often communicated verbally. 

(Courtesy of FireFighterCloseCalls.com.)
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As an incident progresses, Command needs to continually review and update the IAP. This continuous 

review and evaluation should occur when benchmarks are met or conditions change and benchmarks 

have not been achieved.

At this incident, there was no definitive incident action plan relating to traffic incident management 

and control of traffic. The temporary traffic control zone requirements defined by the MUTCD are 

very definitive. These procedures are in place to protect not only fire fighters, law enforcement, EMS, 

and other responders but also for persons driving in this defined area. The incident action plan will 

define the approximate length of the incident, proper staffing and equipment to establish the temporary 

traffic control zone, proper PPE for responders, and proper demobilization procedures. 

Recommendation #6: Fire departments should utilize law enforcement agencies to assist with traffic 

control at highway/roadway emergency work zones.

Discussion: It is important for all emergency responders to remember they must work together to make 

the scene safe for emergency responders, those involved in the incident, and those driving through the 

incident scene. There are multiple things that go wrong while emergency responders are on-scene 

mitigating the incident. By working together at an incident scene, all emergency responders will 

operate more efficiently and safer. Emergency responders from all the different response entities: fire, 

police, department of transportation, towing industry, and emergency management agencies, should 

develop a traffic incident management group. The group would be responsible for discussing traffic 

incident management, coordinated training, define resource availability, and concerns/responsibilities 

for responding to roadway incidents. This will allow emergency responders to work out issues prior to 

having a roadway incident plus discuss any issues with past highway/roadway incidents.

Law enforcement is tasked with multiple responsibilities once they arrive on-scene of a roadway 

incident including incident scene protection, initial first-aid, crash investigation, enforcement of traffic 

law violations, and traffic control and management. Law enforcement has limited personnel to achieve 

all the tasks listed above in an efficient and safe manner. Law enforcement personnel must prioritize 

their tasks based on safety for first responders, those involved in the incident, and those driving 

through the incident. One of the critical tasks that must be completed at a roadway incident is traffic 

control and management. Law enforcement should consider making traffic control and management of 

roadway incidents one of their top priorities. The other tasks should take place once the scene is 

secured and proper traffic control and direction is established. If law enforcement must complete 

another task first, law enforcement needs to coordinate with the incident commander to complete the 

task of traffic control and management.

Law enforcement personnel and fire service personnel should coordinate their resources to establish 

proper traffic control and direction at roadway incidents. Interdisciplinary training among law 

enforcement and fire service will assist in establishing proper traffic control and direction at all 
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roadway incidents. One of the most import aspects of traffic incident management is all emergency 

responders must have communication, coordination, and cooperation to operate more efficiently and 

safely on roadway incidents. Fire, EMS, and law enforcement provide assistance to those involved in 

the incident and the traffic that must be managed through the incident. Cooperation among these 

agencies will limit the amount of time at an incident thus reducing the exposure of first responders to a 

catastrophic event. All first responders must evaluate state laws and the authority having jurisdiction 

(AHJ) regulations to determine who is allowed to control and direct traffic at a roadway incident.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provides direction for establishing a 

protected work area for persons working along roadways, including emergency work zone responders.

Chapter 6I provides instruction on the “Control of Traffic through Traffic Incident Management 

Areas” which are defined as “an area of a highway where temporary traffic controls are installed, as 

authorized by a public authority or the official having jurisdiction of the roadway, in response to a road 

user incident, natural disaster, hazardous material spill, or other unplanned incident.” Traffic incidents 

are divided into three general classes – major, intermediate, or minor according to the duration, with 

each having unique traffic control characteristics and needs [NIOSH 2013]. The MUTCD Chapter 6I 

provides the same guidance under Section 6I.02 – Major Traffic Incidents and Section 6I.03 –

Intermediate Traffic Incidents, which states, “If manual traffic control is needed, it should be provided 

by qualified flaggers or uniformed law enforcement officers” [FHWA 2009a].

Law enforcement plays in critical role in providing manual traffic control. Coordination, cooperation 

and training among law enforcement personnel and fire service personnel will improve roadway 

incidents. 

At this incident, fire department personnel provided traffic control until the time when they were 

preparing to clear the scene. 

References

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DCFEMS [2009]. Highway safety plan, Driving Bulletin #7, June 3, 2009. Washington, D.C: District 

of Columbia Fire and EMS Department. https://fems.dc.gov/

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Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association, Emergency Responder Safety Institute 

http://www.respondersafety.com/Download.aspx?DownloadId=e5b4282f-d3c3-413c-9040-

1539bab65963. Date accessed: July 12, 2013. 

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[http://www.respondersafety.com/NUG.aspx]. Date accessed: December 26, 2017. 
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and Health, FACE Report F2013-05 IL. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face201305.html

NOVA Region [2012]. Operating Procedures for Highway Incidents, Fire and Rescue Departments of 

Northern Virginia, October 2012. Fairfax, VA: Fire and Rescue Departments of Northern Virginia, c/o 

Northern Virginia Regional Commission https://novaregion.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1723

USFA [2012]. Traffic incident management systems. Emmitsburg, MD: Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, United States Fire Administration. 

[http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa_330.pdf] 

WDOT [2012]. Emergency traffic control and scene management guidelines. Milwaukee, WI. 

Wisconsin Department of Transportation. [http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/stoc/timeguidelines.htm]. Date accessed: July 17, 2013.

Weather Underground. Weather history for KPIB, Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Atlanta, GA: The 

Weather Channel Interactive, Inc., 

https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KPIB/2017/3/15/DailyHistory.html?req_city=Sumrall

&req_state=MS&req_statename=Mississippi&reqdb.zip=39482&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=

Investigator Information

This incident was investigated by Murrey E. Loflin, Investigator and Karis Kline, Safety and 

Occupational Health Specialist, with the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, 

Surveillance and Field Investigations Branch, Division of Safety Research, NIOSH located in 

Morgantown, West Virginia. An expert technical review was provided by Brad Sprague, a Sergeant 

with the Illinois State Police and the Deputy Chief of Operations with the Minooka, IL Fire Protection 

District. A technical review was also provided by the National Fire Protection Association Public Fire 

Protection Division.
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Additional Information

Emergency Responder Safety Institute

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)

National Fire Service Incident Management System, Model Procedures Guide for Highway 

Incidents, available from IFSTA/Fire Protection Publications at (800) 654-4055.

National Traffic Incident Management Coalition

United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

United States Fire Administration, Traffic Incident Management System, FA-330, March 2012, 

Disclaimer

Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In addition, citations to websites external to NIOSH do not 

constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products. 

Furthermore, NIOSH is not responsible for the content of these websites. All web addresses referenced 

in this document were accessible as of the publication date.
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Appendix One

Traffic Incident Management Guide
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Appendix Two

Sample Traffic Control Scenario
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Appendix Three

Sample Highway/Roadway SOP/SOG
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