ATSSA/FHWA Work Zone Safety Grant FOCUS - Fall 2007
AREA 1: Highway Work Zone Worker Safety Training
Highway Work Zone Worker
Safety Training
AREA 2. The Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Development Update
Highway Work Zone Safety
Guidelines Development
AREA 3: Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Training
Highway Work Zone Safety
Guidelines Training
Meet the National Sheriff's Association
Since its founding in 1940, the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has been the one voice of the nation’s sheriffs in Washington, D.C. As one of the largest law enforcement organizations in the country, NSA is the leading advocate on law enforcement, criminal justice and public safety issues. As a Work Zone Safety Grant partner, the NSA oversees the law enforcement element of your training materials, assisting in identifying the target audience for the law enforcement element, and providing law enforcement technical assistance for this grant. A letter of endorsement for the ATSSA Law Enforcement Training Course from the NSA to the NTSB is included on page 5.
The NSA serves as the center of a vast network of information, filling requests for information daily and enabling criminal justice professionals to locate the information and programs they need. The NSA recognizes the need to seek information from the membership, particularly the sheriff and the state sheriffs’ associations, in order to meet the needs and concerns of individual members. While working on the national level, NSA has continued to seek grassroots guidance, ever striving to work with and for its members, clients and citizens of this great nation.
The NSA has through the years assisted sheriffs’ offices/sheriffs’ departments and state sheriffs’ associations in locating and preparing applications for state and federal grant funding. Their record and reputation for integrity and dependability in conducting programs is well recognized - and has led to continuing opportunities to apply for grants on the national, state, and local levels as well as management study contracts.
The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) is a non-profit professional association located in Alexandria, Va., which was chartered in the State of Ohio on Sept. 26, 1940. The NSA is the voice of elected law enforcement and represents the nearly 3,100 elected sheriffs across the nation. NSA has more than 20,000 members including deputy sheriffs, law enforcement professionals, students, and others. Throughout its sixty-one-year history, the NSA has served as an information clearinghouse for sheriffs, deputies, chiefs of police, law enforcement professionals, as well as state governments and the federal government. NSA also provides management training for sheriffs and their personnel and administrates the highly successful Neighborhood Watch and Triad Programs.
There are sheriffs in every state except: Alaska, where there is no county government; Hawaii, where there are deputy sheriffs who serve under the Director of the state Department of Public Safety; and Connecticut, where again there is no county government and the sheriffs have been replaced with a state marshal system. Each of the 47 other states has its own state sheriffs’ association which is affiliated with, but still maintains independence from the National Sheriffs’ Association. The NSA is run by an Executive Committee and a Board of Directors. The twenty-two members of the Board of Directors are elected annually at our annual conference. While some members of the Board also serve as ex-officio members of the EXCOMM, all past presidents are considered ex-officio members of the Board of Directors. Presidents, VPs, and the Sergeant.-At-Arms all serve one year terms and are then elevated to the next highest position.
NSA FACT SHEET
- When and where was the NSA established?
The Articles of Incorporation for NSA were filed on September 26, 1940, with the Secretary of State for the State of Ohio. - How many sheriff’s offices are in the U.S.?
There are 3,084, as of July 10, 2007. - Are there states that do no have a sheriff’s office?
Yes. Three states do not have Sheriff’s Offices:1. Alaska. No county governments.
2. Connecticut. Sheriffs have been replaced with a State Marshal System.
3. Hawaii. There are no Sheriffs butDeputy Sheriffs serve in the Sheriff’sDivision of the Hawaii Department of Public Safety. -
What is the difference between a sheriff and a police chief?
A sheriff is generally (but not always) the highest, usually elected, law-enforcement officer of a county. Chiefs of Police usually are municipal employees who owe their allegiance to a town/city. Oftentimes, Chiefs are appointed by the Mayor of a town/city; or, they may be appointed by or subject to the confirmation of a Police Commission. -
How long is the term of office for a sheriff?
Sheriffs have a four-year term in 43 states; two-year term in one state (Ark.); three-year term in one state (N.J.); six-year term in one state (Mass.); and 10 year term in one state (R.I.). See: http://www.sheriffs.org/GovtAffairs/OfficeofSheriff/Office_of_Sheriff,_State-by-State_Election_Chart.pdf -
What is the difference between a sheriff’s office and a sheriff’s department?
See: http://www.sheriffs.org/GovtAffairs/Officeof-Sheriff/SheriffsOfficevSheriffsDepartment.pdf -
How many members does the NSA have?
As of July 10, 2007, NSA has over 21,000 members.For Membership Benefits, see: http://www.sheriffs.org/mem-benefits.shtml -
Who is the current president of the NSA?
Sheriff Craig Webre of Lafourche Parish, La.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
MISSION:
The Traffic Safety Committee is charged with the responsibility of studying, considering, evaluating, analyzing, and reporting on to the Executive Committee and membership all matters of policy, standards, practice and procedures relating to the enforcement of traffic laws and ordinances, traffic crash investigation, emergency vehicle operations, highway traffic safety problems and programs, and all proposed legislation relating to traffic safety services affecting sheriffs.
OBJECTIVES:
- Increase awareness among Sheriffs of the importance of highway traffic safety programs by the Office of the Sheriff as a major facet of the responsibility of sheriffs to protect the lives and property, and improve the quality of life, of their citizens.
- Identify traffic enforcement strategies and tactics which have proven to be effective in reducing traffic fatalities, damages, and injuries in crashes; and disseminate information on such strategies and tactics to members of the association and other public safety agencies and legislative bodies.
- Serve as the liaison, representing the National Sheriffs’ Association, to organizations whose purpose is to research, develop, finance, promote and evaluate traffic safety programs and issues.
- Develop and submit to the Resolutions Committee and/or the Executive Committee at the Annual Conference of the National Sheriffs’ Association, statements of the Traffic Safety Committee’s positions on traffic safety matters for adoption by the committees as official positions of the association.
- Initiate, oversee, and evaluate research and development projects and technical assistance programs conducted by the staff of the National Sheriffs’ Association in the field of traffic safety enforcement and education.
- Promote the development and delivery of training programs on traffic safety policies, procedures, strategies, and tactics to personnel of Offices of the Sheriff as well as to the general public.
- Establish and promote an awards program for recognizing individual law enforcement employees who have made significant contributions or outstanding achievements in highway safety enforcement, educational, or promotional activities.
- Seek grant funding for the National Sheriffs’ Association for traffic safety programs.
- Provide traffic safety training programs to personnel of Offices of the Sheriff as well as to the general public.
Promote support from the Office of the Sheriff for enforcement activities and high-priority traffic safety emphasis areas, including occupant protection and impaired driving national mobilizations.- Provide oversight for any traffic safety grants to the National Sheriffs’ Association to ensure their compliance with the foregoing mission and objectives of the Traffic Safety Committee.
For additional information, contact the
National Sheriffs’ Association
1450 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(800) 424-7827
www.sheriffs.org
OBJECTIVES
The objective of the Work Zone Safety Grant Program is to develop guidelines and provide
training to improve highway work zone safety.
STATEMENT OF WORK
ATSSA shall perform tasks within the following work areas: Highway Work Zone Worker Safety Training; Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Development; and Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Training.
AREA 1: Highway Work Zone Worker Safety Training
Eight training courses are now offered including; What Everyone Should Know About Temporary Traffic Control Training (WESK), Traffic Control Technician (TCT), Traffic Control Supervisor (TCS), Flagger Instructor Training (FIT), Utility Traffic Control (UTC), Nighttime Traffic Control (NTC), Law Enforcement Course (LEC), and Emergency Traffic Control (ETC). The course fees are: $0 for federal employees, $25 for public officials and $50 for all others. Visit ATSSA.com for course schedules and registration information.
ATSSA has developed executive overviews of each course for individuals not familiar with these courses. Overviews can be viewed on the ATSSA.com “Work Zone Safety Grant” site.
AREA 2. The Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Development Update
Five subject areas have been identified for developing guidelines in the form of products. Those subject areas include; Use of Positive Protection for Work Zones, Processes for Selecting and Decommissioning High Visibility Apparel, Pedestrians and Work Zones, Work Zone Safety Planning, Impact Assessment and Mitigation and Traffic Control and Safety for Maintenance and Short Duration Operations. The topic areas identified in the gap and needs analysis and confirmed in the practitioner workshop and meetings with FHWA are primarily related to improving work zone safety for both workers and the traveling public. We expect the specific products will be developed in the next 6 to 9 months. Area 2 updates are available on ATSSA.com.
AREA 3: Highway Work Zone Safety Guidelines Training
Five new training courses have been identified and development will begin in November 2007.
Visit ATSSA.com
for current course schedules, locations and more!
Call the ATSSA Training Department to enroll in a course at
(877) 642-4637
NATIONAL SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION
Aaron D. Kennard
Sheriff (Retired)
Executive Director
1450 Duke St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.536.7827 phone
703.683.6541 fax
www.sheriffs.org
nsamail@sheriffs.org
August 14, 2007
Mr John Balser, Transportation Specialist
Federal Highway Administration
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590
Re: Letter of support of the National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB") Work Zone Training Law Enforcement Course on Safe and Effective Use of Law Enforcement Personnel in Work Zones
Dear Mr. Balser,
The National Sheriffs' Association ("NSA") joins the International Association of Chiefs of Police("IACP"), the Federal Highway Administration ("FHA"), and the National Traffic Safety Administration ("NTSA") in recognizing the daily duties of local law enforcement officers in traffic work zones as part of a dangerous environment.
The National Sheriffs' Association notes that in 2006, 73 out of the 151 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, 48% were killed in traffic-related incidents. As a result, NSA, in the spirit of cooperation with IACP, FHA, and NTSA supports NTSB development of a model training course for law enforcement officers who are assigned to work zone duties.
NTSB's "Work Zone Training Enforcement Course" is designed to educate the local law enforcement officers on the safety risks associated with work zones. This NTSB course is designed to reduce law enforcement personnel's individual risk of crash, injury and death in work zones.
The The National Sheriffs' Association, a 501(c) (4) non-profit association located in Alexandria, Virginia, was foundded in 1940 to promote the dair and efficient administration of criminal justice throughout the nation. The National Sheriffs' Association supports the law enforcement activities and the jurisdiction of the Office of Sheriff throughout the nation.
It is NSA's pleasure to support NTSB's Work Zone Training Law Enforcement Course which promotes the safe and effective use of law enforcement personnel in our nation;s work zones.
Sincerely yours,
Aaron D. Kennard
Executive Director
12/16/2008
Categories: Law Enforcement | Training | Work Zone Safety | Work Zone Traffic Control | FHWA Work Zone Safety Grant Program
