According to the company, a new standard from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE 1512.1 (TM), "Traffic Incident Management Message Sets for Use by Emergency Management Centers," creates a flexible communication framework for transportation emergencies so everyone involved in managing them has an ongoing flow of information. The company says IEEE 1512.1 is designed to speed response time and reduce message duplication as regards traffic flows, infrastructure and such traffic management assets as sand trucks, video cameras and personnel. It creates a uniform format for messages and data frames and elements to aid emergency management centers, service providers and planning bodies, as well as fleet and freight management centers and traffic and transit management centers, the company further claims. "The need for clear two-way communications in transportation emergencies led us to develop this standard," says Ann Lorscheider, chair of the IEEE 1512.1 Working Group and Metrolina Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineer at the North Carolina Department of Transportation. "Data flowing among those involved in managing emergencies must be easily understood. "Unfortunately, confusion can arise as real-time data is exchanged between incident commanders and other sources concerning such areas as traffic conditions and infrastructure cleanup, repair and replacement. This makes it much harder to manage incidents effectively. The new standard seeks to prevent this by providing for consistent information transfer to and from traffic management centers and other bodies." IEEE P1512.1 is part of the family of standards built around IEEE 1512, "IEEE Standard for Common Incident Management Message Sets for Use by Emergency Management Centers." These standards support efficient communications to enable the management of accidents, planned roadway closures, disasters and other transportation-related events, says the company. IEEE 1512 standards are sponsored by the IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee (SCC) for Intelligent Transportation System, SCC 32. About the IEEE Standards Association The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body, develops consensus standards through an open process that brings diverse parts of an industry together. These standards set specifications and procedures to ensure that products and services are fit for their purpose and perform as intended. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870 completed standards and more than 400 standards in development. Over 15,000 IEEE members worldwide belong to IEEE-SA and voluntarily participate in standards activities. For further information on IEEE-SA see www.standards.ieee.org. About the IEEE The IEEE has more than 380,000 members in approximately 150 countries. Through its members, the organization says it is an authority on areas ranging from aerospace, computers and telecommunications to biomedicine, electric power and consumer electronics. The IEEE says it produces nearly 30 percent of the world's literature in electrical and electronics engineering and in computer science. This nonprofit organization also sponsors or cosponsors more than 300 technical conferences each year. Additional information about the IEEE can be found at www.ieee.org.