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American Traffic Safety Services Association
ATSSA’
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47
TH
ANNUAL
CONVENTION & TRAFFIC EXPO
ATSSA training is preferred roadway safety
training for the nation
ATSSA training, and the courses offered by the association, was an
expanded topic of discussion between Sawyer and Ricker that
showcased ATSSA as the nation’s most recognized and most widely
accepted training by organizations and agencies across the country.
“That’s the kind of reputation that I know you and the association are
extremely proud of,” said Sawyer.
Ricker went on to explain several reasons why ATSSA is the nation’s
leader in roadway safety training.
“First, we’ve been doing this for nearly 50 years now,” she said,
“providing standard or customized training solutions that improve
roadway safety, worker safety, and business profitability. Secondly,
the experience and knowledge of ATSSA instructors is unmatched
in the roadway safety industry. Most have decades of roadway safety
experience—both in the field, and in the classroom. Pairing those
instructors with an outstanding staff of professionals at ATSSA helps
you to consistently stay abreast of the rapidly changing industry and
provide the highest quality training at every opportunity.”
Sawyer also commented on the incredible level of experience
ATSSA instructors offer.
“From what I have read,” Sawyer said, “ATSSA Master Instructors
focus on technical issues, review the association’s enormous
portfolio of available training courses and identify new training
courses for development in order to continue the top-notch training
for which ATSSA is known throughout the industry.”
ATSSA’s training statistics for 2016 were shared with all of those in
attendance.
“Some of the 2016 ATSSA training numbers included more than
35,000 students receiving classroom training, 27,000 students
obtaining certifications through ATSSA, and 4,500 flaggers
receiving their training online,” said Ricker.
Ricker also explained, “Also over the course of three years, ATSSA
has offered Federal Highway Administration Work Zone Safety
Grant courses to 11,024 students. The number of students who took
advantage of the grant courses in 2016 was close to 3,000.”
The grant courses are offered to state and local governments,
transportation and public agencies and departments of transportation
for $25 per person for each course.
New course rollouts for 2016 included the first High Friction Surface
Treatment Installation and Inspection Training Course in the
roadway safety industry, an online version of ATSSA’s TMA course,
Operation and Application of Truck-Mounted Attenuators (which
introduces concepts and practices of TMAs in work zones), a new
Guardrail Inspection Course, and updates to the Guardrail
Installation Training and Longitudinal Barrier Courses.
Ricker also praised ATSSA’s Corporate Training Program, which
allows companies to bring ATSSA’s roadway safety training to
their own company workshops or classrooms, at any location across
the country.
One of the many benefits of this program is the lower cost of training
because instructors train employees at their own sites, which offers
greater flexibility in scheduling and the ability to adjust the training
to all staff levels within a company’s workforce.
Ten new companies brought ATSSA training to their own sites
through this program in 2016, and a total of 41 companies are
participants in the program.
ATSSA President and CEO Roger Wentz makes a point during a committee
meeting on Feb. 11. All of ATSSA’s technical committees met this day, which
began with remarks by ATSSA Chair Deb Ricker that morning.
Henry Ross (center), Plasticade’s director of government relations, shares a
lighthearted moment in the Temporary Traffic Control Committee with Sue Reiss,
national sales manager for Impact Recovery Systems Inc., and ATSSA Staff
Liaison Becky Golden.