PennDOT Expressway Patrol trucks like this one are common sights on U.S. Route 422 and other major local highways

PHILADELPHIA PA – When area highways get backed up, it’s often due to one of two reasons: traffic is heavy, or an accident occurred … and sometimes accidents occur because traffic is heavy, which only complicates the snarl.

Clearing traffic incidents more quickly, while keeping responders safe, is the subject of a conference being held today (Tuesday, May 10, 2011) at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

More than 150 police, fire, emergency medical services, towing, and other highway-related personnel from Pennsylvania and New Jersey are expected to attend the day-long event, according to Communications Manager Elise Turner of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Montgomery County emergency dispatchers and police chiefs from several county townships will be among them, Turner said.

Its agenda promotes “the need for cooperation and a unified incident command structure so that responders can perform their jobs efficiently, and most importantly, safely,” Turner said. Part of the day involves what she called an “emergency vehicle placement training” intended to demonstrate principles of emergency traffic control and scene management.