Knowledge Resources

When a biohazard has affected a community, the emergency response will likely involve the transportation sector because a biohazard could affect the transportation network directly (e.g., the release of biohazards on a highway or in a transit station) or indirectly (i.e., by requiring the transport of emergency responders and/or the quarantine of contaminated populations).

To gain control over biohazard emergency situations, state departments of transportation (DOTs) use tools and structures to activate a response appropriate for the severity of the incident and which set in motion the required coordination, if any, with external agencies. These tools are highlighted in a FHWA guide entitled “Transportation Biohazard Operational Concept” as a system of direction and control which enable state DOTs to manage the response to biohazard incidents. The actions and consequences involved in using these tools and structures - Emergency Activation Levels (EALs), a State DOT Incident Management System, and a Transportation Emergency Operations Center – are summarized below.

• Indicate the severity of the biohazard emergency with the corresponding Emergency Activation Levels (EALs) as follows:
  • Level One: Traffic Incident indicates that the incident is manageable within a maintenance section/business unit of the state DOT and unlikely to require aid from external agencies.
  • Level Two: District-wide Emergency affects more than one maintenance section/business unit, may require activation from the District Emergency Center and may involve support from external agencies within the District.
  • Level Three: Region-wide Emergency involves more than one District, may require activation of the Region-wide Emergency Center and require support from external agencies within the Region.
  • Level Four: Major Emergency is an immediate threat to life and property and likely to be a state-wide emergency.

The district manager of the location with the incident designates the EAL. The EAL determines the deployment of resources, involvement of external agencies, and the command structure. As the EAL increases, management responsibility moves up the leadership chain as follows:

• Use the Incident Management System to specify the state DOT’s response activities for the field level and for the various Emergency Operations Centers. As part of the state DOT’s Emergency Operations Plan, the Incident Management System establishes the relationships between the state DOTs and emergency management agencies at the field level and in local/state Emergency Operations Centers. The Incident Management System identifies management roles by job title and department, thus creating an unambivalent structure of the management chain and personnel that defines roles and responsibilities across the board. For example, it defines the structure and roles in:
  • the transportation field response teams including front-line employees, supervisors, Incident Commander, Command Post and Management Team;
  • the transportation coordinating structure including the state-wide, regional, district/division and field office Emergency Operations Centers; and
  • the transportation communications structure, which ensures that agencies convey consistent messages to the public.

This lesson learned identifies the tools and structures for state DOTs to implement when managing an emergency response to a biohazard. The Emergency Activation Level tool enables the state DOT to activate an appropriate response that deploys the required resources, involves external agencies only if needed and coordinates with emergency agencies when appropriate. Thus, the EAL enable the state DOT to contain an incident without over-extending unnecessary resources. The Incident Management System specifies in advance the relationships between managers and personnel in the field, district, regional and state DOT as well as the state DOT and external agencies. This system removes ambiguity by clarifying the roles, responsibilities and procedures for managing biohazard incidents. By facilitating an effective emergency response, these tools and structures support safety and mobility in biohazard incidents.