1. The Governor’s Task Force on Responder Safety One scene. One culture
The Governor’s Task Force on Responder Safety One scene. One culture. Save Lives.
Deputy Chief Mark Savage, Colorado State Patrol
Ryan Rice, Colorado Department of Transportation
September 20, 2017
With our recent line of duty deaths in mind, Governor Hickenlooper charged CSP with convening a task force to conduct a top to bottom review of first responder safety in Colorado. I am sure you are well aware that all three of our line of duty deaths involved traffic crashes.

2. The Task Force
Collaboration between CSP, CDOT and Colorado’s First Responders
6 Focus Areas
Over 200 responders participated
Training
Technology
Operations
Policies & Procedures
Infrastructure
Communication
CSP collaborated with CDOT’s leadership and assembled a multi-disciplinary team to investigate the state of first responder safety in Colorado and to make recommendations for improvement. The task force was organized around six focus areas:
-Training
-Operations
-Infrastructure
-Technology
-Policies & Procedures, and
-Communication

3. Responder Exposure At a Glance
According to FHWA, in a typical year the following number of responders are struck and killed:
12 Law Enforcement
5 Fire and Rescue
60 Towing and Recovery Professionals
Several transportation professionals from DOT’s, Public Works, and Safety Patrol Programs
You may not be aware; however, that traffic related crashes are leading causes of injuries and fatalities for first responders of all types and that secondary crashes represent 18% - nearly one in five - of all fatalities on freeways for the entire population, first responders included.
Per FHWA, in a typical year
-12 law enforcement officers
-5 fire and rescue personnel
-60 towing and recovery professionals, and
-Several transportation professionals (DOT, Public Works, and Safety Service Patrol)
are struck and killed while working in the roadway environment across the US.

4. Present State
Colorado’s community of first responders are highly trained, extremely capable professionals. The task force work verified that our first responder’s exhibit competency in the execution of their work and are committed to serving our community. The work also confirmed several other things that we already know like:
-Traffic volumes on our roadways are increasing
-Shoulders and other work areas are narrowing
-Each agency operating within the roadway environment knows what to do and how to do the tasks they need to
People are dying anyway

5. One Scene. One culture. Save lives.
Desired End State
One Scene. One culture. Save lives.
We will value human life first!
To really value human life first, we need to change our culture. Not just the culture of CSP, but the culture of every first responder and every citizen in Colorado. We must focus all of our activities on keeping people safe, all day, every day.
One scene. One culture. Save lives.
Accomplishing a culture change is no small matter. The task force considered carefully what they were proposing. This proposal can be summarized in two overarching recommendations. The recommendations provide for how to achieve change and what the primary focus of protecting human safety entails:

6. Overarching Recommendation 1
The State should establish and fund a permanent, multi- disciplinary standing committee on first responder safety, led by CSP, responsible for achieving a one scene culture by execution unified and comprehensive updates to training, operations, policies and procedures, communications and infrastructure , including technological advances.
The State should establish and fund a permanent, multi-disciplinary standing committee on first responder safety, led by CSP, responsible for achieving a one scene culture by executing unified and comprehensive updates to training, operations, policies and procedures, communications, and infrastructure, including technological advances
Every agency around the state needs to be on the same page
We need to support our members by aligning our operating philosophy with execution of our work from policies and procedures to training and equipment to execution and performance measurement
Lasting transformation cannot be achieved through a champion driven process. We all know this and would be short-sighted to think we can take any one idea and transform our world based on it
All Coloradoans, responders and citizens at large, benefit from a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration
We can no longer work adjacently with our partners, we must train and evolve to working as a singular team, in a one scene culture, where we execute our missions together – a singular, unified team of experts saving lives together
CSP leads this effort because we have a statewide footprint, comprehensive knowledge of the roadway working environment, and we know how to lead and to generate change
We know we are excellent at our work
We know our work is important
We know that we expose ourselves to traffic a lot, and
We know the world is changing

7. Overarching Recommendation 2
To improve first responder safety, all responders and the traveling public must take steps to eliminate, reduce, and minimize exposures to active traffic.
To improve first responder safety, all responders and the travelling public must take steps to eliminate, reduce, and minimize exposures to active traffic.
When we are exposed to active traffic, our lives are at risk
It is not reasonable to eliminate traffic all together
Eliminating traffic from work areas altogether results in risk transfer from responders to citizens, not risk avoidance
We have choices
Choosing to conduct our work with as minimal exposure to active traffic as possible protects responder lives and citizen lives as well
Secondary crashes often occur in queues – when we eliminate queues we prevent crashes

8. What’s next? Change.
If you are thinking that changing how we execute our work will only make things harder. Or if you are wondering what’s in this for my community? Or so, what am I expected to do?
Here is my answer. Changing how we execute our work may make some things harder. I get that. In my opinion, and in the opinion of this task force, many of whom come from your agencies, having all of our responders going home to their families tonight and tomorrow night, and every night after that is absolutely worth changing for. Every law enforcement officer, firefighter, towing professional, public works person, EMT, and coroner that you know is worth changing for. Your personal safety as you travel on the highway, every responder’s safety and the safety of every Coloradoan is what’s in this for you.

9. One scene. One culture. Save lives
Whenever possible do not stop in or near traffic
Don’t change your tire on the side of the road-drive that car to a safer place-no cost savings equals the value of your life
Move your crash, if appropriate
If you are stranded on the side of the road, stay in your car with your safety belt on!
We are all responsible for the safety of our neighbors. So, beginning today, tell everyone you know: your family, your friends, your neighbors, the people you become engaged with while executing you work:
whenever possible do not stop in or near traffic
don’t change your tire on the side of the road – drive that car to a safer place – no cost savings equals the value of your life
move your crash, if appropriate
if you are stranded on the side of the road, stay in your car with your safety belt on!
Also, please assign your agency staff to get involved in this effort! Help us to identify, fund, and execute smart improvements to our system and practices! Support your local first responders every chance you get!

10. Thank you One scene. One culture. Save lives.
Deputy Chief Mark Savage
@CSPDeputyChief
Colorado State Patrol
One scene. One culture. Save lives.
Thank you for joining me in making the world safer for our members and all Coloradoans!