Operations Division
The Operations Division has two major program areas:
Transportation Operations Center
Photograph courtesy of: Jim Tetro of Architectural Photography
During day-to-day operations, the Transportation Operations Center (TOC) serves as the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) focal point for situational awareness, information fusion and sharing, decision support product development, and DOT’s liaison with Federal, state, local, territorial, tribal, and private sector operations centers. The TOC monitors reports from all sources 24/7 and provides timely situational awareness reporting relating to all threats and all hazard events and incidents that have the potential to or are impacting the safety and security of the Nation’s transportation sector to include personnel, facilities, and resources. The TOC provides unclassified and classified voice and data, video teleconferencing, and audio-visual support to the Department.
During response and recovery operations, the TOC hosts the Secretary’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) and serves as the focal point for coordinating and reporting on the Department’s response and recovery efforts in accordance with Emergency Support Function #1 Transportation. During ERT activations, the TOC collects response and recovery information from DOT and Federal, state, local, territorial, tribal, and private sector entities that enable the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response (S-60) to provide status reports and decision-making support to DOT senior leadership.
Partner Agencies
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Defense
- Department of State
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Justice
- Department of Interior
- Department of Labor
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Energy
- United States Coast Guard
- National Infrastructure Coordinating Center
- Transportation Security Administration
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
Stakeholders
- White House National Security Council
- DOT Leadership
- DOT Operating Administrations
- Secretary’s Emergency Response Team
- Private transportation service providers
Major Projects
Audio-visual and information technology upgrade to enhance information exchange, streamline processes within the TOC, and the ability to provide enhanced support, less interruptions, and higher quality service during activations.
Social and traditional media monitoring software to enable more timely notifications of domestic and international events and incidents that brings TOC awareness in line with other Federal, state, local, territorial, tribal, and private sector operations centers.
Customizable subscription service to allow customers the ability to sign up for specific incident notifications and information sharing services.
National Transportation Response and Recovery Program
The National Transportation Response and Recovery Program (NTRRP) is responsible for coordinating the Department’s preparedness, response, and recovery activities in all-hazard incidents and to support the Secretary's responsibilities under the National Response Framework (NRF), Emergency Support Function - 1 (ESF-1) Transportation, and the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), Infrastructure Systems, Community Planning and Capacity Building, and Health and Human Service Recovery Support Functions (RSF) The NTRRP has a team of over 150 members nationwide to carry out the ESF-1 and RSF functions. The team includes a National Program Manager, Deputy Manager, 2 Operational Planners, 7 Regional Emergency Transportation Coordinators (RETCOs), 11 Regional Transportation Representatives (RETREPs) and numerous Regional Emergency Cadre (RET-C) members representing all DOT Operating Administrations. In each region, the RETCO is designated as the Secretary’s executive-level representative to ensure preparedness, response, and recovery activities are effectively carried out. RETREPs handle the day-to-day program issues and coordinate disaster and special events planning efforts between DOT and Federal, State, Local, Tribal and Territorial, and private sector emergency planners. During incident and event responses, RETREPs lead transportation operations in FEMA’s various operation centers in headquarters and affected regions. The cadre members are highly trained and subject matter experts who may be activated during an incident or event. In addition, the NTRRP interacts with and leverages the Department’s Transportation Operations Center which provides coordination of response and recovery activities with the Department’s Operating Administrations through the Emergency Coordinators.