On September 20, 2008, Chuck Besterman, Grand Isle CERT, attended an Emergency Traffic Control course presented by the Franklin-Lamoille Fire School at the Cambridge Elementary School.  The instructor was Chris LaBerge, a Senior Loss Consultant for the State of Vermont, who handles traffic and safety claims for the League of Cities and Towns.

      The course was structured for first responders, but was very informative for anyone who may be involved with emergency traffic control.  If traffic control involves closing down a State highway, in our case Route 2, the State Police or VT Agency of Transportation (AOT) must be notified.  Along with set procedures for closing highways, detours and alternate routes must be well thought out with adequate directions and signs to move the traffic safely away from the incident.  Lane closures were also reviewed detailing different traffic situations and how to safely resolve them.

      Effective traffic control devices such as cones, barriers, and signs were reviewed along with their proper placement.  A large part of the course involved traffic flagging, detailing the best equipment to use, and safety procedures that should be followed.  Also, flagging procedures were reviewed for different circumstances such as nighttime, heavy storm, bright daylight, multiple flaggers, and rural roads to Interstate highways.  Each participant received a State flagger certification card that is good for a two year term before recertification is required