3.1Roles and interactions#

3.1.1Transport and Main Roads Traffic Management Centre / Region / District#

Typically, officers providing TIMS will operate under the direction of a TMC or regional / district supervisor. In the management structure, this role is responsible for the resource deployment associated with TIMS.

The TMC / regional / district supervisor is responsible for incident response within a regionally-predetermined section of road network when affected by an incident. They can assist TIMS personnel with on-scene activities by providing information and organising resources. In instances where a TIMS officer does not have easy access to his or her TMC or regional supervisor, such as in remote areas, the TIMS officer may assume some of this responsibility.

In regions without access to a TMC, each region is responsible for clearly defining the management and reporting of TIMS.

It is essential that TIMS officers provide the TMC / regional / district office with accurate and timely information throughout the incident. The information provided may be used for providing traffic and travel information, media releases, major incident advice and so on.

3.1.2Police#

QPS is responsible for public safety, law enforcement and crime scene preservation, and incident investigation (of the inner cordon – the immediate incident scene at the time for which it is in effect). When present at an incident scene, QPS is the primary responsible authority. It has specific powers and delegations to direct the activities of any person at the scene, including departmental officers and contracted agents undertaking TIMS.

In certain circumstances, alternative Emergency Services may temporarily assume authority to manage certain aspects of the incident.

Under s59 Power for regulating vehicular and pedestrian traffic of the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000, Police Officers have wide-ranging powers to direct persons at any incident scene to do or to not do anything the Officer believes to be necessary in the circumstances. TIMS personnel must be aware that such directions have legal force.

Once Police arrive at an incident site, they should take command of the inner cordon of the incident site and, as such, a TIMS officer who may already be onsite should provide a situation handover to Police. At this point, the TIMS officer is under the direction of the Police and also assumes the role of the Transport and Main Roads representative onsite.

A TIMS officer should never act against a direction issued from a Police Officer. If there is a safety issue, the TIMS officer should discuss concerns with the Police Officer and seek an alternative method / action, rather than simply refusing the direction. Should any specific concern for personal safety remain, the issue should be escalated to the TMC / regional office for resolution as a matter of urgency.

3.1.3Emergency Services#

Emergency Services, such as Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES), Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) and the State Emergency Service, including volunteer fire and rescue organisations, are responsible for rescuing injured people, treating and transporting the injured to hospital and controlling fire and other site hazards. In the majority of incidents these responders attend, they will operate under the guidance of the site commander (typically a Police Officer).

On occasions, because of the nature of the incident (such as a significant HAZMAT incident), a QFES officer-in-charge may take control of the inner cordon. In such cases, an onsite TIMS officer should remain under the direction of Police if also onsite.

When there is no Police presence at an incident, which may be the case in the early stages of an incident, the TIMS officer is to work under the guidance of the QFES incident controller (if present). This may require the TIMS officer explaining his or her resource capability and role as the Transport and Main Roads representative onsite.

3.1.4Media and general public#

The Police generally give media access to the scene. TIMS personnel should allow identified media representatives through road closures at incidents with agreement from Police. Any questions directed to a TIMS officer should be redirected to the attending Police.

When interacting with the media or members or the public, a TIMS officer:

  • should not say ‘I am not allowed to make any comment’
  • should be wary of media misquoting and, in particular, be careful to avoid making any statements that may be overheard – conversations with the public should be limited and avoid being overheard when liaising with the TMC, regional office or other responders
  • shall not make any statement to the media concerning the incident, the progress of a response or any other aspect of Transport and Main Roads business; requests for comment should be responded to with:
  • - if a Police Officer is on the scene, ‘Sir / Madam, I am not the appropriate person to speak to, however, you can talk to the attending Police or the Police Media Unit’
  • - if a Police Officer is not on the scene, ‘Sir / Madam, I am not the appropriate person to speak to; however, you can talk to the Transport and Main Roads Communications Unit’ and provide Transport and Main Roads Communications unit contact details
  • shall contact the TMC coordinator / regional supervisor or other appointed officer if there is any indication of official public complaint or where Transport and Main Roads is being threatened with legal proceedings or adverse media reports as the result of an incident.
Source: TIMS Manual · pages 30–32 Open PDF at this page Search this document