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Emergency Response Management Equipment Package

Architecture Geographic Scope

Description:

Strategic emergency planning and response capabilities and broad inter-agency interfaces to support large-scale incidents and disasters, commonly associated with Emergency Operations Centers.

 

Included in:

Army Corps of Engineers Field Office
Bay City Police/Fire/EMS Dispatch and PSAP
City of Victoria EOC
City of Victoria Fire/Police/EMS Dispatch and PSAP
City of Victoria Traffic Operations Center
Colorado Valley Transit Dispatch
County EOC
County Public Safety Dispatch and PSAP
DPS Communications
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Golden Crescent Transit Dispatch
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority Control Center
Independent School District Dispatch
Lavaca Navidad River Authority Headquarters
Local Transit Operations
Lower Colorado River Authority Headquarters
Municipal EOC
Municipal Public Safety Dispatch
Municipal Traffic Operations Center
Other County EOC
Other Municipal EOC
Private Tow/Wrecker Dispatch
Private/Public Ambulance Dispatch
State EOC
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
Texas Department of Health
TxDOT Yoakum District Office -Traffic
U.S. Coast Guard Office
USGS Field Office
Victoria Transit Dispatch
Volunteer Fire Departments

Functional Requirements:

1The center shall provide strategic emergency response capabilities such as that of an Emergency Operations Center for large-scale incidents and disasters.
2The center shall manage coordinated inter-agency responses to and recovery from large-scale emergencies. Such agencies include traffic management, transit, maintenance and construction management, rail operations, and other emergency management agencies.
3The center shall provide the capability to implement response plans and track progress through the incident by exchanging incident information and distributing response status to allied agencies.
4The center shall develop, coordinate with other agencies, and store emergency response plans.
5The center shall track the availability of resources (including vehicles, roadway cleanup?, etc.), request additional resources from traffic, maintenance, or other emergency centers if needed.
6The center shall allocate the appropriate emergency services, resources, and vehicle (s) to respond to incidents, and shall provide the capability to override the current allocation to suit the special needs of a current incident.
7The center shall receive event scheduling information from Event Promoters.
8The center shall receive hazardous materials incident information from commercial fleet operators.
9The center shall provide the capability to request the safe disabling of a commercial vehicle during a hazardous materials incident.
10The center shall provide the capability to request transit resource availability from transit centers for use during disaster and evacuation operations.
11The center shall assimilate the status of the transit, traffic, rail, maintenance, and other emergency center services and systems to create an overall transportation system status, and disseminate to each of these centers and the traveling public via traveler information providers.
12The center shall provide information to the media concerning the status of an emergency response.
13The center shall provide the capability for digitized map data to act as the background to the information presented to the emergency system operator.
14The center shall provide the capability for center personnel to provide inputs to the management of incidents, disasters and evacuations.
  

User Service Requirements (fully or partially addressed):

2.0PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT
2.2EN-ROUTE TRANSIT INFORMATION
2.2.1TI shall include an Information Distribution function that disseminates information to travelers.
2.2.1.1Information Distribution shall include an Information Network capability.
2.2.1.1.4The Information Network shall provide all users with information that is from a single source in order to ensure consistency across all users.
2.3PERSONALIZED PUBLIC TRANSIT
2.3.4The PPT shall include an Information Processing function.
4.0COMMERCIAL VEHICLE OPERATIONS
4.5HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SECURITY AND INCIDENT RESPONSE
4.5.0ITS shall include a Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Security and Incident Response (HSIR) service.
4.5.2HSIR shall provide an Operation Focal Point (OFP) for initiating appropriate responses.
4.5.2.1OFP shall be capable of being implemented as either a centralized dispatch or several de-centralized dispatch units or vehicles.
4.5.2.2OFP shall provide the capability for existing dispatch centers to receive the calls, determine response requirements, and route distress calls to predesignated responding agencies.
4.5.2.3OFP shall provide the capability for operators to coordinate with other agencies and response services to include, but not be limited to, the following:
4.5.2.3(a)State and/or local transportation officials.
4.5.2.3(b)Police departments.
4.5.2.3(c)Highway patrol.
4.5.2.3(e)Emergency medical services.
4.5.2.3(f)Environmental protection agencies.
4.5.2.3(g)HAZMAT teams.
4.5.2.3(h)Towing and other "courtesy" services.
4.5.3HSIR shall include a Communications (COMM) function.
4.5.3.1COMM shall provide the capability for distress signals to be sent to a focal point.
4.5.3.3COMM shall provide the capability for data to be sent from any location covering all areas of the contiguous United States.
4.5.3.4COMM shall provide the capability for linkages/interfaces with various existing networks.
4.5.4HSIR shall include a HAZMAT Security (HS) function.
4.5.4.2HS shall provide a roadside security sensitive HAZMAT security (RHS) function.
4.5.4.2.5RHS shall include the capability to notify traffic management agencies when unauthorized security sensitive HAZMAT activity has been detected and verified.
4.5.4.3HS shall include a Driver Authentication function (DA)
4.5.4.3.7DA shall include the capability to notify traffic management if an unauthorized driver attempts to operate the vehicle.
5.0EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
5.1EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION AND PERSONAL SECURITY
5.1.1ENPS shall include a Driver and Personal Security (DPS) function.
5.1.1.1DPS shall include an in-vehicle manually initiated distress signal capability to provide a first-alert that an incident has occurred to include the following:
5.1.1.1(d)Vehicle location.
5.1.1.3DPS shall include the capability to send an acknowledge signal to the motorist to indicate that the signal was received and help is on the way.
5.1.2ENPS shall include an Automated Collision Notification (ACN) function.
5.1.2.2When sending notification of a collision ACN shall send pertinent information about the collision including the following:
5.1.2.2(b)Accurate vehicle location.
5.1.3ENPS shall include a Remote Security and Emergency Monitoring (RSEM) function to create an environment of safety in secure areas.
5.1.3.4RSEM shall include a Monitor Alert Levels (MAL) function.
5.1.3.4.3MAL shall increase system preparedness as the likelihood of an incident increases, including:
5.1.3.4.3(a)Activating physical security systems and implementing security procedures
5.1.3.4.3(b)Adjusting parameters of surveillance and sensor devices.
5.1.3.5RSEM shall include a Physical Security System (PSS) function.
5.1.3.5.2PSS shall allow system operators to monitor and control operation of the physical security system devices, including operator override.
5.1.3.5.3PSS shall provide current status of the system including readiness and activation to operators.
5.1.4ENPS shall include a Wide Area Alert (WAA) function to notify the public in emergency situations using ITS driver information and traveler information capabilities.
5.1.4.1WAA shall notify transportation operators and information providers when an emergency situation occurs that requires public notification.
5.1.4.1.1The WAA notification shall identify the originator, the nature of the emergency, the geographic area affected by the emergency, the effective time period, and information and instructions necessary for the public to respond to the alert.
5.1.4.1.2The WAA shall provide necessary information for emergencies including, but not limited to, child abductions, severe weather watches and warnings, military activities, civil emergencies, other natural and human-caused disaster advisories, and law enforcement warnings.
5.1.4.2WAA shall use available dynamic message signs, highway advisory radio, in-vehicle displays, 511 and other telephone information systems, traveler information web sites, transit vehicle information systems, message display boards, and other information systems to provide the WAA information to the public.
5.1.4.2.1WAA shall tailor the information provided for individual driver and traveler information systems, limiting messages to short notifications for human-factors limited devices like dynamic message signs.
5.1.4.3WAA shall keep the WAA initiator apprised of the current status of public notification, including an accounting of the driver and traveler information resources that are being utilized.
5.1.4.4WAA shall notify transportation operators and information providers when public notification is no longer required.
5.1.5ENPS shall include a Protect Sensitive Traveler Information (PSTI) function to inhibit distribution of traveler information that is deemed to be sensitive.
5.1.5.1PSTI shall notify transportation operators and information providers when access to information from ITS surveillance and sensor systems must be restricted.
5.1.5.2The PSTI notification shall identify the geographic area, time, specific devices, and/or other information necessary to determine the traveler information that must be protected.
5.1.5.3PSTI shall restrict access to traveler information for the affected area until access restrictions are removed.
5.1.5.4PSTI shall notify transportation operators and information providers when traveler information access restrictions are removed.
5.2EMERGENCY VEHICLE MANAGEMENT
5.2.1EVM Service shall include an Emergency Vehicle Fleet Management System.
5.2.1.1Emergency Vehicle Fleet Management System shall maintain the availability status of relevant emergency vehicles.
5.2.1.2Emergency Vehicle Fleet Management System shall determine the emergency response vehicles best suited to respond to an incident.
5.2.1.3Emergency Vehicle Fleet Management System shall dispatch the appropriate emergency response vehicle (s) to the incident.
5.2.2EVM Service shall include a Route Guidance System.
5.2.2.1Route Guidance System shall maintain real-time information on traffic conditions in urban and rural areas, emergency response vehicle locations, and emergency response vehicle destinations.
5.2.2.2Route Guidance System shall advise emergency response vehicles of appropriate routes.
5.2.3EVM Service shall include a Signal Priority System.
5.2.3.1Signal Priority System shall maintain real-time information on signal timing, emergency vehicle locations and emergency vehicle routing.
5.3DISASTER RESPONSE AND EVACUATION
5.3.0ITS shall provide a Disaster Response and Evacuation (DRE) function that provides for effective, coordinated management of the surface transportation system during all types of disasters including natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, severe winter storms, tsunamis, etc.), terrorist acts, and other catastrophic events (e.g., nuclear power plant disasters). Two primary subservices are provided: (1) Disaster Response and (2) Evacuation Coordination. The Disaster Response Subservice provides support for planning, transportation management, resource sharing, and information coordination between transportation agencies and principal responding agencies (emergency management, public safety, and other allied agencies) to improve the effectiveness and safety of a disaster response. The Disaster Response Subservice consists of eight major functions: 1) Coordinate Response Plans, 2) Monitor Alert Levels, 3) Detect and Verify Emergency, 4) Assess Infrastructure Status, 5) Coordinate Response, 6) Critical Service Restoration, 7) Manage Area Transportation, and 8) Disaster Traveler Information. The Evacuation Coordination (EC) Subservice efficiently manages an evacuation and provides evacuees with the information they need during evacuation and subsequent reentry to the evacuated area. The Evacuation Coordination (EC) subservice includes four additional major functions: 9) Evacuation Planning Support, 10) Evacuation Traveler Information, 11) Evacuation Transportation Management, and 12) Evacuation Resource Sharing.
5.3.1Disaster Response shall provide a Coordinate Response Plans (CRP) function to support dissemination and coordination of emergency response plans, continuity of operations plans, and other emergency plans between agencies in preparation for a potential future disaster.
5.3.2Disaster Response shall provide a Monitor Alert Levels (MAL) function.
5.3.2.1MAL shall monitor alert levels and threat information provided by federal, state, and local agencies to include the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) and related systems for terrorist alerts, the weather forecasts, watches, and warnings issued by the National Hurricane Center, other National Weather Service components and other weather service providers, and the various early warning systems operated by federal, state, and local emergency management agencies..
5.3.2.2MAL shall increase system preparedness as the alert level or the likelihood of a disaster increases, taking actions including:
5.3.2.2(b)Pre-staging activities
5.3.2.2(c)Review and update resource inventories
5.3.2.2(d)Stage resources
5.3.2.2(e)Assign personnel
5.3.3Disaster Response shall provide a Detect and Verify Emergency (DVE) function that provides initial emergency situation information to all allied agencies.
5.3.3.3DVE shall notify emergency management, public safety, and other allied response agencies and provide available information about the emergency situation.
5.3.3.4DVE shall alert transportation agencies to disasters that have been identified by other agencies
5.3.3.5DVE shall alert transportation agencies of safe reentry conditions following a disaster.
5.3.4Disaster Response shall provide an Assess Infrastructure Status (AIS) function.
5.3.4.1AIS shall assess the impact of the disaster on the transportation infrastructure and associated ITS systems using:
5.3.4.1(a)Asset Management Systems
5.3.4.1(b)Surveillance systems and sensors
5.3.4.1(c)Built-in-test of electronic systems
5.3.4.1(d)On-scene reports and inspections
5.3.4.1(e)Information gathered by aerial surveillance.
5.3.4.2AIS shall provide an assessment of transportation infrastructure damage to transportation, emergency management, public safety, and other allied agencies.
5.3.6Disaster Response shall include a Critical Service Restoration function that will coordinate with allied agencies to restore critical transportation and utility services.
5.3.6.1Emergency construction and maintenance shall be planned, coordinated, and initiated to restore critical transportation infrastructure.
5.3.6.2Emergency access to right-of-way, permits, and needed equipment and resources shall be coordinated as necessary to support restoration of other critical public works.
5.3.7Disaster Response shall include a Coordinate Response (CR) function to coordinate the disaster response between transportation, public safety, emergency management, and other allied agencies. Information may be shared with individual agency centers, emergency operations centers, and unified command systems at the scene.
5.3.7.1CR shall provide information about the transportation system including:
5.3.7.1(a)Egress and ingress routes for the scene and staging areas.
5.3.7.1(b)Transportation system condition information including video surveillance information as appropriate
5.3.7.1(c)Traffic management strategies in effect, including closures, detours, tolls, and HOV restrictions.
5.3.7.2CR shall provide Information on transportation resources and personnel that are available, en-route, or deployed at the scene. Transportation resources include construction and maintenance equipment used at the scene and transit vehicles that may be used to move emergency response personnel to and from the scene.
5.3.7.3CR shall receive information from emergency operations centers and other emergency management systems including:
5.3.7.3(a)Current situation information
5.3.7.3(b)Requests for resources
5.3.7.3(c)Requests for transportation information, including video surveillance
5.3.7.3(d)Requests for ingress and egress routes
5.3.7.3(e)Requests for special traffic management strategies, including detours and closures, tolls lifted and HOV restrictions lifted.
5.3.8Disaster Response shall include a Disaster Traveler Information (DTI) function that will coordinate with public information offices of the principal responding agencies in providing traveler information for the disaster scene and surrounding area to include:
5.3.8(a)Special traffic restrictions,
5.3.8(b)Detours and closures,
5.3.8(c)Special transit schedules,
5.3.8(d)Traffic conditions at and around the scene.
5.3.8(e)Special traffic allowances (HOV restrictions lifted, tolls lifted, shoulder use, reverse lane operation).
5.3.9Evacuation Coordination shall provide an Evacuation Planning Support (EPS) function.
5.3.9.1EPS shall provide archived evacuation data such as traffic flows, travel speed, vehicle occupancy, road closures, network geometry, traveler behavior, travel origins, travel destinations and evacuation traffic management strategies.
5.3.10Evacuation Coordination shall include an Evacuation Traveler Information (ETI) function.
5.3.10.8ETI shall provide road and traffic conditions on evacuation routes including:
5.3.10.8(b)Incident information
5.3.11Evacuation Coordination shall provide an Evacuation Transportation Management (ETM) function to assist evacuation coordination personnel as they manage evacuation operations.
5.3.11.1ETM shall have a real-time data collection process to assist in the selection of evacuation strategies and to monitor the operations of the selected evacuation strategies.
5.3.11.6ETM shall manage incidents on evacuation routes.
5.3.11.11ETM shall have the capability to monitor the location and status of transit vehicles participating in evacuation operations.
5.3.12Evacuation Coordination shall provide a Resource Sharing (RS) Function that allows information and resource sharing between agencies involved in the evacuation including transportation, emergency management, law enforcement and other emergency service agencies.
5.3.12.1RS shall allow information sharing between agencies at local, state, multi-state, and federal levels, covering all jurisdictions affected by the evacuation
5.3.12.1.1RS shall provide information sharing capabilities among transportation agencies and between these agencies and the emergency management, public safety, and other allied response agenies.
8.0MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
8.1MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS
8.1.1Maintenance and Construction Operations shall provide a Maintenance Vehicle Fleet Management (MVFM) function to schedule and dispatch, monitor and track location, and monitor operational condition and maintenance requirements of public and contracted fleets of maintenance, construction, and specialized service vehicles. This function includes interactions among Traffic Managers, Supervisors, Dispatchers, Field Crews, Construction Crews, Vehicle Maintenance Crews, Equipment Maintenance Crews, Weather Services Organizations, and Information Service Providers.
8.1.1.6MVFM shall be capable of providing dispatchers and operators of maintenance, construction, and specialized service vehicles with information regarding potential and actual roadway problems.
8.1.1.6.1MVFM shall provide information to dispatchers and vehicle operators, including but not limited to:
8.1.1.6.1(b)Incidents
8.1.4Maintenance and Construction Operations shall provide a Roadway Maintenance Conditions and Work Plan Dissemination (RMCWPD) function to provide Intra- and Inter-agency coordination of work plans. This function includes interactions among Traffic Managers, Supervisors, Planning Agencies, Public Safety Organizations, and Information Service Providers.
8.1.4.1RMCWPD shall coordinate information on planned maintenance and construction activities, including work zone information, and unplanned remediation activities, such as inclement weather responses, so that routing, scheduling, and resource allocation can be accomplished.
8.1.4.2RMCWP shall support inter-agency coordination of response and scheduling of resources for significant events with broad impact, like natural disasters, major incidents, and large planned or seasonal events.
8.1.4.3RMCWPD shall coordinate information with other transportation agencies, including but not limited to:
8.1.4.3(a)Public Safety
8.1.4.3(b)Emergency Medical Management
  
The detailed process and user service requirement traceability information on this page was extracted from the National ITS Architecture. Consult the National ITS Architecture web site for more information.

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