managing travel for planned special events - FHWA Operations ...

easier to track changes and make certaineveryone is operating with the same information.COMMUNICATIONStructure and ProtocolIn most areas of the country, interoperablecommunications, in which all agencies areable to communicate on a common radiofrequency, is not yet a reality. That beingthe case, it is necessary for a communicationstructure and protocol to be established. Asshown in Table 9-4, the structure should includethe noted primary considerations.Table 9-4Communications StructurePrimary ConsiderationsCONSIDERATION• What radio channels or frequencies will beused.• Who will use these channels.• Will a common lexicon be used for communications.Whatever frequency is used, it is importantthat all those who must use it be able to accessthe channel and that coverage includeall areas where operations will take place.In some cases, operating on a common frequencymay require the distribution of radiosto some of the stakeholders. In someinstances, agencies have used cellularphones with a push-to-talk feature to providea common channel during an event. Someagencies may already have these handsetsand use them for day-to-day operations.One or more special talk channels can beestablished for use during the planned specialevent to allow only traffic managementteam members to be on the air. Table 9-5lists the advantages of using this type of system.Table 9-5Advantages of Operating on aCommon FrequencyADVANTAGE• Most of the infrastructure is provided by aprivate company.• Coverage can be achieved over a wider areathan some individual agencies enjoy.• Agencies’ normal channels are freed forregular operations.• Other frequencies are not jammed with transmissionsrelated to the planned special event.Another important part of the protocol involvesusing common language on a multiagencyfrequency. Many agencies use verbalshorthand in the form of codes whentransmitting. These codes work well whenused by those who know them, but whenother stakeholders are involved, the codescan be a source of confusion and miscommunication.An increasing number of agenciesare now using clear language protocolson their radio frequencies, and these standardsshould be followed if multiple agencieshave to communicate with one another.Clear language simply says that commonlyunderstood words and phrases are used insteadof codes. For instance, instead of callingan accident a Signal 11, the crash shouldbe called an accident on the radio.Interagency CommunicationSince multiple stakeholders are involved, itis critical that they be able to communicatewith one another on the day-of-event:• The most basic, and least desirable, formof interagency communication involvesmessages being relayed indirectly fromone agency to another. An examplecould include a police officer in the fieldwishing to coordinate a road closurewith the DOT. The officer radios the in-9-8