The Operation Respond Institute held a workshop for rural emergency responders on June 14, 2004 at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, KY. This working session involved the active participation of nearly 50 fire, police and emergency management professionals from 42 counties in Eastern and Southern Kentucky.
The event was coordinated in cooperation with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The purpose of this workshop was to assess the special needs of America's rural emergency responders when dealing with hazardous materials and transportation-related incidents. Attending emergency responders completed a survey identifying their level of readiness in responding to specific emergency situations and incidents. Many attendees also participated in an afternoon process mapping session to help identify issues and needed resources in response operations.
The workshop also featured several speakers, including William Quade from the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Alan Caldwell of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Steve Hodges of the Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) and Dave Schoendorfer of Norfolk Southern Railroad. A representative of Congressman Hal Rogers office also attended the event. Congressman Rogers has been responsible for seeking funding to help Operation Respond in their work to improve the resources and tools available to emergency responders in rural America. As a result of this workshop, Operation Respond will enhance its software and mapping capabilities based on the suggestions of these workshop participants.
The Operation Respond Institute is a not-for-profit corporation that develops time and life saving tools for emergency responders. The OREIS software provides emergency responders with the hazardous materials content information for railroad and highway incidents as well as schematics highlighting important safety and security features aboard railcars.
Participants at the workshop were given an opportunity to receive the software in an effort to proliferate OREIS along Kentucky's interstate highway and railroad mainlines. Implementation of the system throughout Kentucky will afford the state's emergency response personnel the opportunity to quickly access information concerning hazardous materials traveling on Kentucky's highways and railroads. This ensures that in the event of an accident, responding emergency personnel will be able to quickly identify the materials at hand, the safety precautions they must employ and the correct methods to contain the situation.
Steve Hodges of RISS announced that OREIS will soon be available to law enforcement officers as a "node" on the RISS network. As of August 2004, RISS users will be able to access the capabilities of OREIS directly from the RISS or ATIX networks, which are comprised of some 700,000 law enforcement members. This integration was made possible through the use of the SmartGate security technology developed by V-ONE Corporation.
The Center for Rural Development is a non-profit organization whose primary mission is improving the quality of life for individuals in its forty-two county service region by providing, promoting, and supporting innovative and sustainable community development solutions.
To learn more about Operation Respond, visit www.oreis.org or contact Adam Marton at adamm@oreis.org.