Freight Transportation and Emergency Management: Profiles of Three Stakeholder Groups
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Freight Transportation and Emergency Management: Profiles of Three Stakeholder Groups Prepared for the Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute (IFTI) University of Memphis Prepared by Malcolm E. Baird, Ph.D., P.E. Vanderbilt Center for Transportation Research (VECTOR) January 2010 Contents Page Preface ............................................................................................................................................. i Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Public Agencies Responsible for Emergency Management ................................................................ 1 The Transportation System in the United States ............................................................................... 28 Public Agencies Responsible for Transportation ............................................................................... 38 Freight Transportation Businesses .................................................................................................... 55 Closing ............................................................................................................................................. 90 References ...................................................................................................................................... 91 Preface This paper was prepared for the Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute (ITFI) at the University of Memphis to help advance research, education, and outreach related to intermodal freight transportation. The primary audience for the paper includes IFTI faculty, staff, and students as well as representatives of the public and private organizations that support IFTI. The paper is part of an ITFI initiative to improve mutual understanding between the public and private sectors relative to intermodal freight transportation. Many of the referenced documents are available online. Links are provided, and the links were current as of September 2009. The report was funded in part by federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and an unrestricted gift to Vanderbilt University from the Ingram Barge Company. A number of individuals provided invaluable information and insight for the report. Appreciation is expressed to the University of Memphis, the USDOT, and Ingram Barge and to the individuals who assisted in preparing and reviewing the paper. The author is solely responsible for the content, findings, and conclusions. i Abstract This paper offers profiles of three stakeholder groups with important interests in freight transportation and emergency management in the United States: • Public agencies responsible for emergency management • Public agencies responsible for transportation • Freight transportation businesses Each group is described in terms of mission, budgets, numbers of employees, stakeholders, institutional arrangements, and the respective forums for collaboration, research, and professional development. The components of the “national transportation system” are described as a preface to the sections on the transportation agencies and fright transportation businesses. Much of the information is elementary for individuals already familiar with one or more of these groups. The intent is to provide basic information and suggested sources for more in depth information to help each group better understand the perspectives of other groups who share important responsibilities. Most of the paper describes the stakeholders separately; however, the paper is intended to encourage and facilitate more comparison, interaction, and advancement of mutual objectives. ii Freight Transportation and Emergency Management: Profiles of Three Stakeholder Groups The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of three stakeholder groups with important interests in freight transportation and emergency management in the United States: • Public agencies responsible for emergency management • Public agencies responsible for transportation • Freight transportation businesses Much of the information presented may seem elementary to individuals already familiar with one or more of these groups. The intent is to provide basic information to help each group better understand the perspectives of the other groups who share important responsibilities for freight transportation and emergency management. PUBLIC AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT This group of stakeholders is comprised of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the state emergency management agencies, and local emergency management agencies that serve cities and counties throughout the U.S. These are the agencies with names ending with “emergency management agency”—the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the (Name of State) Emergency Management Agency, and the (Name of City or County or City/County) Emergency Management Agency. However, the “EMAs” are not solely responsible for emergency management in the U.S. The roles of some of the organizations that share these responsibilities are also addressed in this section. First, however, the use of the phrase “emergency management” may need some clarification. Most of the emergency management agencies at all levels of government work with “disasters” more than “emergencies,” and most of their work involves “coordination” more than “management.” They manage processes, communications, and emergency operations centers, and they administer grants; but arguably, their most important work is in coordinating the resources, plans, and priorities of other agencies. Most emergencies in the U.S. are handled entirely by local public safety agencies, often referred to as “first responders”—law enforcement, fire and rescue services, emergency medical services, and emergency communications (911 and emergency dispatching). Specialized responders also assist the public safety agencies. For highway emergencies many state DOTs and local governments operate “freeway service patrols” or “emergency response units.” Private companies provide towing and recovery services 1 to clear the roadways. Hazardous material specialists respond when overturned vehicles and spilled cargo threaten public health, safety, and the environment. Other modes of transportation also have internal resources for emergencies. Major airports have their own police officers and aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) resources. Major railroads also have their own police forces and other emergency response capabilities. The U.S. Coast Guard provides security and emergency response for deepwater ports. Businesses in transportation and other industries deal with a wide range of emergencies on their own properties using their own resources. A myriad of businesses offer consulting and restoration services. Many different circumstances determine whether and when an emergency management agency (EMA) is involved in a particular event. EMAs often facilitate notification of affected parties even for relatively minor events. Many EMAs often have special responsibilities for events involving hazardous materials regardless of the scope. In general, however, EMAs are not directly involved in routine emergencies and are almost always involved in disasters. EMAs become essential when the public safety agencies and other responders need assistance that is not readily available. According to one educator and researcher: When a disaster occurs . police, fire, and emergency medical service ( EMS ) personnel cannot always cope with the resulting widespread impacts unless an emergency manager and numerous others are available to acquire resources for first responders and take care of broader response and recovery needs in the community (e. g., warning, sheltering, debris management, donations management, rebuilding, etc.). (McEntire 2007) No standard definition has been adopted for “emergency management,” but the following are representative. The first is from a textbook, Introduction to Emergency Management: Emergency management is an essential role of government. The Constitution tasks the states with responsibility for public health and safety—hence the responsibility for public risks—with the federal government in a secondary role. The federal role is to help when the state, local, or individual entity is overwhelmed. This fundamental philosophy continues to guide the governmental function of emergency management. (Haddow 2008) Another introductory text, Living with Hazards, Dealing with Disasters, offers this: Emergency management is the management of risk so that societies can live with environmental and technical hazards and deal with the disasters they cause. (Waugh 2000) In 2007, Dr. Wayne Blanchard of FEMA’s Emergency Management Higher Education Project convened a working group of emergency management practitioners and academicians to consider principles of emergency management. The group agreed on eight principles, and the following is an excerpt from the introduction to those principles: 2 Definition: Emergency management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Vision: Emergency management seeks to promote safer, less vulnerable communities with the capacity to cope with hazards and disasters. Mission: Emergency management protects communities by coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability