Original Scope: State DOTs are increasingly challenged to deal with an increasing number of emergencies involving their bridge inventory such as fires, vehicle and vessel impacts, earthquakes, prolonged extreme temperatures and an increased number of severe weather events. A DOTs’ ability to plan and deliver their capital construction programs are compromised by the diversion of financial, material and human resources to deal with an array of emergency responses. Agencies may be able to mitigate some of these impacts by developing and deploying plans to prepare for, respond to and recover from these events.
This scan will examine practices, procedures and plans of states, counties, metropolitan areas and municipalities that have successful approaches in responding to bridge emergencies. The scan team will document procedures for threat identification, response plans and preparations specifically needed for rapid recovery. This scan will study communication protocols and coordination across local, state, and federal emergency response groups; response plans to address network-wide and individual bridge emergencies; and examples of effective “desktop exercises” and practice responses (drills).
Implementation of the scan results will allow agencies to plan and respond more quickly to emergencies to return bridge assets to service sooner following an event, thereby improving structural resiliency.
Implementation and Impact
None to report at this time.
Scan Members
- Sarah Sondag, Minnesota DOT, Scan Chair
- Roman Peralta, Washington State DOT
- Matt Lott, Virginia DOT
- Brenda Crudele, New York State DOT
- Rebecca Curtis, Michigan DOT
- Michael Garner, Georgia DOT
- Vincent Chiarito, FHWA
- Richard Dunne, SME
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