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A Highway Safety Smoke
Management Interagency Agreement has been developed between the Florida
Division of Forestry (DOF), Florida Department of Transportation (DOT), and
the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to provide a cooperative policy and process
to warn and advise travelers about roadway visibility conditions resulting
from wildfires and prescribed burns.
The occurrence of fires in proximity to roads may create safety hazards.
This information describes the approved warning and advisory signs when
responding to a smoke emergency, or preparing for a prescribed burn.
The signs advise travelers that proper authorities are aware of the hazard
or potential hazard, thereby reducing impacts on the 911 and *FHP system.
Sign details are available in the
Department's Sign Library. Unless otherwise stated, the components of
these traffic control devices shall comply with
Department requirements and be approved for use on the State Highway
system. Approved sign sheeting and temporary stands are found on the
Department's Qualified Products List (QPL).
By interagency agreement, each Forest Area Supervisor employed by the DOF is
authorized to approve the placement of portable sign assemblies warning
motorists to REDUCE SPEED. When
there is sufficient smoke present to create a safety concern, these signs
may be erected, and FHP notified.
Signs shall be removed by the agency that erected the signs.
Placement and removal shall
always be coordinated with the FHP.
The approved standard
is a 48inX 48in REDUCE
SMOKE SPEED or
REDUCE SPEED advisory sign, manufactured on orange, fluorescent
orange, or incident management pink retroreflective vinyl roll-up material.
The signs are designed to warn motorists that the normal operating
speed is too fast for current roadway conditions.
At posted speeds 50 mph or less, signs may be 36in X 36in.
To advise travelers of a nearby prescribed burn, any responsible person is
authorized to place retro-reflective temporary advisory signs on non-limited
access roads. Upon completion of the
burn, signs shall be removed. Signs
for limited access roadways will be installed and removed by the FDOT.
The person (s) planning and executing the burn will provide the signs,
stands, and evidence of the burn authorization, and confirm the scheduled
ignition of the burn.
The approved 48in X 48in temporary diamond shaped signs with the text
FIRE SMOKE AREA and
PRESCRIBED BURN are to be made of
yellow retroreflective roll up vinyl with black lettering.
At posted speeds 50 mph or less, signs may be 36in X 36in.
Person(s) planning and executing a prescribed burn will
contact the applicable FDOT local maintenance yard or operations center to
notify them that signs are being placed on the State Highway System roadways
in anticipation of a burn. The
information given to the maintenance staff shall include the exact time and
location of the signs and contact information for the persons conducting the
burn.
The use of any existing aluminum warning sign panels made for temporary
installations is permitted until the condition of the sign face or panel
renders it functionally obsolete. If a temporary stand is used in lieu of
temporary posts, the stand shall meet the specifications for accommodating
the aluminum panel.
If steel channel is used to mount a temporary aluminum panel sign, it is the
responsibility of the person planning and executing the prescribed burn to
contact
Sunshine State One Call of Florida (811) 48 hours prior to installing
the signs to insure no conflict with existing utilities. Posts, hardware,
vertical mounting heights and lateral clearances should adhere to those
specified in the current edition of the
Department's Design
Standards.
Signs shall be installed 1/2 mile in advance of the hazard area in both
directions to allow travelers sufficient time to react to the sign message.
Signs shall be double-mounted in each direction of travel on divided
highways
For
additional information, contact Jeff Caster, State Transportation Landscape
Architect
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