Official to visit ITD to learn more about emergency program

ITD will have an opportunity to showcase its innovations in emergency management next month during a visit by Frannie Edwards of the National Transportation Security Center.

Edwards is deputy director of the center, which is part of the Mineta Transportation Institute. Her visit is scheduled for May 17.

Based in San Jose, Calif., the institute conducts research, education, and information and technology transfer, focusing on multimodal surface transportation policy and management issues. It was established by Congress in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and was reauthorized under TEA-21 and again under SAFETEA-LU.

The Institute is funded by Congress through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, by the California Legislature through the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and by other public and private grants and donations, including grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Edwards will visit with Bryan Smith, manager of ITD’s emergency program, and review the MTI exercise handbook draft for the transportation sector. She also will solicit suggestions for organization and content for the book to make it useful for emergency program officials in other states and within ITD, Smith said.

“I see this visit as an opportunity to also highlight what Idaho is doing in transportation emergency management,” Smith said. “Frannie sounded very interested in learning more about the innovative ways we have applied some of (MTI’s) products, such as our new emergency management program organization and structure, and other ways we have created plans and programs to manage emergencies in Idaho.”

Along with a possible tour of the State Communications Center, Smith is trying to arrange a demonstration of ITD’s model winter maintenance performance program, ITD’s award-winning 511/CARS (511 Traveler Services) program and a presentation about ITD’s “first-in-the-nation” fire response plan.

Published 4-26-13