Transportation Safety and Security Demonstrated Successes

Hazardous Materials Study Series: For the North Carolina Emergency Management Division’s Information and Planning Section, IEM conducted a five-year hazardous materials study series for the state’s nine Domestic Preparedness Regions. The study provides an assessment of the hazardous materials risks near critical facilities such as schools, public buildings, congested transportation routes, and areas with large population densities. Read full hazardous materials study article.

The success of the Hazardous Materials Study Series has resulted in IEM being awarded an additional five-year contract focused on risk assessment. The North Carolina Hazardous Materials Risk Assessment will result in the development of HAZMAT risk assessments for 15 North Carolina counties.

Commodity Flow Studies: For the State of North Carolina, IEM conducted a regional study of HAZMAT transport, mapping chemical shipments across designated regions. With an understanding of where freight shipments are concentrated, officials can now ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the network and will have an increased awareness of freight vulnerabilities and safety needs. Study results have also resulted in changes to shipping routes.

Port Security Planning: IEM has conducted port security planning and other services for some of the largest U.S. ports, including the ports of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Lake Charles, Fourchon, Plaquemines, Louisville, Nashville, Charleston, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.

Air Operations Planning: IEM has provided aviation expertise to government agencies on various projects that have resulted in the development of the FEMA Joint Field Office’s Aviation Branch Operations Manual, the National Response Framework Aviation Operation Support Annex, State and Local Aviation Planning (SLAP) guidance, and federal support plans for air evacuations and also led to the successful air evacuation of New Orleans residents during Hurricane Gustav.

Mass Transit Planning: IEM has provided emergency planning assistance to some of the largest mass transit agencies in the United States, including the New Jersey Transit Corporation, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Houston Metro Transit, and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.

Rail Planning:  IEM helped a Class 1 rail carrier mitigate public perception about decreases in safety related to a significant rail service expansion in a major city. We calculated changes in emergency response times for fire and rescue vehicles in the event of increased rail service in several suburbs. The analysis included the use of an industry-tested traffic model and detailed statistical analysis techniques to determine how increased waiting time at highway-rail grade crossings would impact emergency services.

Mass Evacuation Transportation Planning: For FEMA, IEM developed a detailed transportation model that simulates mass evacuation from a Gulf Coast hurricane. We modeled proposed airline, rail, and bus trips for local residents needing public assistance to evacuate. We evaluated evacuation performance under multiple scenarios and conducted detailed modeling of the internal operations of a key transportation facility where evacuee registration, medical triage, and transportation assistance would take place.