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Idaho Transportation
Department
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
Email


Smith, Albright selected for key roles in new
Emergency Transportation Operations

ITD’s commitment to providing full-time emergency response took a significant step recently with the selection of Bryan Smith as Emergency Programs Manager and Louie Albright as Emergency Programs Coordinator.

Smith has been working in emergency planning the past 18 years and brings to his newly created position “a strong vision for our emergency program activities,” said Dave Jones the department’s maintenance engineer. “Louie will join Headquarters Maintenance on Jan. 2. He currently works in District 1 and brings many years of ITD service as well as many years of involvement in local emergency planning, training and on-the-ground response experience.”

The new Emergency Transportation Operations program is a managed, resourced and monitored program...

ITD Director Dave Ekern congratulated both on their new functions. “This is a great reorganization and a tremendous recognition of your contributions and leadership,” he wrote in a memo this week. “Thank you for all you do and the thinking you are providing in shaping our emergency response/operations initiative."

Reorganization, Smith said in a note to emergency coordinators, puts into place a “new network and an emergency coordinator in every district, division and bureau at ITD and will be a key to our future success. Together, with your support and dedication we can make a difference through what we do at ITD that can potentially make a difference to every person in the state of Idaho.

Reflecting the increasing emphasis throughout the department, the program was renamed Emergency Transportation Operations and is part of Headquarters Maintenance. It is “an integrated program designed to make the best use of existing highway infrastructure through provisions of system and services that preserve and improve performance.”

The new Emergency Transportation Operations program is a managed, resourced and monitored program, according to its business plan. That plan indicates change must deal with challenges at several levels:

  • Operations activities combined in terms of a “core” program with a business plan and management,
  • Organizational alignment – especially between Headquarters and districts – to improve accountability,
  • Dedicated program budget sufficient to support operations and management program at appropriate incremental levels,
  • Incorporation into formal planning and programming – statewide and metropolitan and city/county,
  • Performance information used to determine issues, needs and support continuous improvement, capitalizing on available data,
  • Interagency cooperative arrangements/ agreements with key local and regional stakeholders and public safety implementers.

The implementation plan is a blueprint for dynamic, meaningful change.

“ It defines the program, identifies functions and goals, and serves as the program's resume. The basic components are designed to help ITD develop emergency 'operations and management as a program commitment, elevating the related activities to the status of a managed, resourced, monitored program.' The program will satisfy the need to actively manage the existing transportation system to maintain or improve performance …”

Published 12-9-05