Traffic Incident Manager saves countless lives through training of first responders

Rusty James, right, received recognition from ITS Heartland earlier this year for his dedicated work training thousands of emergency repsonders with the TIM program in the KC metro area. 

Traffic Incident Response Week, Nov. 13 – 19, was created to raise awareness of the dangers emergency responders are exposed to when they work at a traffic incident.

Rusty James, provides training to law enforcement officials,
emergency responders, and highway workers

Training emergency responders across the nation using the Federal Highway Administration’s Traffic Incident Management (TIM) program creates a coordinated response to clear traffic incidents efficiently with less risk to emergency responders, those involved in crashes and drivers that pass through an incident area.

As part of the Kansas City Scout traffic management center, TIM has been used in the KC metro area for many years. The manager of this effort until recently was Rusty James.

In May, Rusty was recognized by ITS Heartland, a five-state intelligent transportation systems organization, with its President’s Award in appreciation for his dedicated work training thousands of emergency responders.

There is no way to count the number of lives Rusty James saved over his many years of training law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, tow operators, DOT maintenance workers and other first responders. But there is no doubt the he is responsible for many people going home after an incident because of the training he provided. Thank you Rusty!

Wichita Metro area improves in incident response times

Part of Traffic Incident Response Week (Nov. 13 – 19) is looking at programs that are promoting a shared understanding of the requirements for quick incident clearance and best-practice safeguards for emergency responders and motorists.

In the Wichita metro area, over 1,000 emergency responders have received Traffic Incident Management (TIM) training. After an incident when two responders were struck by a vehicle at a scene in 2013, the entire Wichita Fire Department shared the program with their firefighters.

On Wichita’s highways, between 2013 and 2015, when TIM training began yielding results, traffic incident clearance times decreased by two hours. Average clearance times on highway incidents went from 150 minutes to just 34 minutes.

“TIM training showed emergency responders with different responsibilities why each  organization was doing what they were doing and how all of these roles could work together at a traffic scene,” said Kansas Highway Patrol Lieutenant Roger Baughman.

As a follow-up activity, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, EMTs, tow operators, 911 emergency communicators, WICHway traffic management center staff and other first responders meet bi-monthly to discuss recent traffic incidents, critiquing the clearance procedures and taking ideas for better scene clearance back to their organization.

Learn more about the national effort to reduce deaths and injuries to America’s emergency responders at www.respondersafety.com.

And visit the WICHway website (www.WICHway.org) to view Wichita’s highway cameras, message boards, traffic flow and road conditions during winter weather.

#MoveOverKS Encourages drivers to be cautious of road workers

Flashing lights, sirens, orange cones and neon vests should all tell you one thing: Move over and give emergency response crews, law enforcement and highway workers room to work.

The Federal Highway Administration has declared Nov. 13 to 19 Traffic Incident Response Week. During this week and throughout the entire year, KDOT would like to remind drivers that all road workers should be respected and protected. Whether they are emergency responders at a traffic emergency, KDOT or county workers performing maintenance on the roads or a law enforcement professional performing a traffic stop, these workers need space to do their jobs and stay safe.


KDOT has initiated a campaign called #MoveOverKS, which is designed remind drivers on all roadways to give roadside workers space to do their jobs and perform their service. In order to convey the message, images were taken of KDOT highway workers reminding everyone who sees them why they need all drivers to #moveover and give them space. The images are available across KDOT’s social media pages including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Steve Baalman, a KDOT Engineer in Topeka, said that the use of cell phones makes it noticeably scarier to work along highways.

“We too often see folks with their faces buried in their cell phones,” Baalman said. “Obviously with the texting, it’s very spooky for us.”

Baalman said that despite the risks, working along the highways is worth it. 

“I presume most folks are like me,” Baalman said. “We like the work, the service and the sense of accomplishment. It makes it worthwhile for those folks who are driving it every day.”

Kansas enacted the Move Over Law in 2006, requiring that drivers move over when approaching workers on the side of the road and if traffic doesn’t allow for that, to at least slow down. Follow the #MoveOverKS campaign and see why KDOT employees are asking you to move over.