Transportation Risk Management A New Paradigm

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Transportation Risk ManagementA New Paradigm

• Mark D. Abkowitz
• Professor of Civil Engineering
• Vanderbilt University
• mark.abkowitz_at_vanderbilt.edu

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Impact of Recent Terrorist Acts

• Security issues have not received enough explicit
  risk management attention.
• Event outcomes can be far more severe than
  previously imagined.
• The bar has been raised on risk management best
  practice to meet public expectations.
• Conclusion a new paradigm is needed to properly
  integrate these considerations into traditional
  risk management activities.

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Overarching Observation

• Transportation security traditional risk
  management share a common objective
• To reduce the likelihood and consequences of
  disasters so as to protect human health, quality
  of life and the environment
• This offers the potential to introduce an
  integrated decision-making framework

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Effect of Shifting Resources From Traditional
Risk Management to Security Initiatives
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Fundamental Risk Management Questions
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The Risk Management Spectrum
Natural Disasters
Man-Made Disasters
Accidental
Intentional

• floods
• earthquakes
• tornados
• fires
• hurricanes
• etc.

• biological
• chemical/nuclear
• cyber
• physical attack

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Re-Visiting Consequence Scenarios
Since 9/11/01
No Impact
Catastrophic Impact
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Consequence Measures

• Fatalities injuries (acute and long-term)
• Cleanup disposal costs
• Property product damage
• Loss due to business interruption
• Environmental degradation ecosystem damage
• Traffic community disruption
• Public anxiety
• Diminished agency/company value image

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Re-Visiting Incident Likelihood
Event Likelihood
Since 9/11/01
Consequence
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Risk Prioritization Process

• Identify critical transportation facilities
• Perform risk assessments
• Develop risk management control strategies
• - prevention deterrence
• - preparedness
• - response
• - recovery
• Implement strategy
• Monitor performance

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Transportation Vulnerability Points

• Highways
• Pipelines
• Railroads
• Navigable waterways
• Air transport networks
• Fixed facilities (traffic management centers,
  terminals, transfer storage sites, rest areas)
• Infrastructure hot spots (bridges, tunnels)
• Vehicles that use these facilities

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Institutional CoordinationTransportation Risk
Managers
Federal Agencies
Local Agencies
State Agencies
Shippers
Travelers
Carriers
Public
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Institutional Coordination Security Motivators

• Need for timely, accurate and protected
  information
• Increased scale and type of communication
  interfaces to establish and maintain
• Managing and deploying greater response resources
  to more victims over a larger area

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Decision-Support Needs

• Plan track before/during/after a major event
• Assess prioritize locations in need of risk
  management attention
• Identify at-risk populations sensitive
  environments
• Communicate risks to affected parties
• Locate deploy response resources
• Estimate damage
• Identify evaluate mitigation strategies
• Maintain a centralized risk management
  information system

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Enabling Tools

• Knowledge awareness building
• Process development
• Intelligence gathering
• Emergency response planning
• Information management

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Information Technologies

• Surveillance detection
• Geographic information systems (GIS)
• Global positioning systems (GPS)
• Communications devices and networks

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Summary Conclusions

• A new paradigm is needed to accommodate
  transportation risks caused by intentional acts
• It is based on the concept of integrating
  security risk with other transportation risks
• A highly-coordinated, broad-based, systematic and
  process-oriented approach is fundamental to its
  success
• Enabling tools, utilizing information technology,
  are needed so risk managers can operate with a
  high degree of confidence

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Panel Participants

• Cherry Burke, Dupont
• Bob Fronczak, Association of American Railroads
• Doug Reeves, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Adam Thiel, Virginia Department of Fire Programs

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Panel Topics

• What is transportation risk management (TRM)?
• Do you distinguish between safety and security in
  addressing TRM considerations? Why or why not?
• What significant TRM accomplishments have
  occurred since 9/11/01?
• What critical TRM challenges lie ahead?
• What is your organization/industry doing to
  address these challenges?