Emergency street closing policy
Fargo Police Department, Standard Operating Procedure
Date issued: 02-18-88
Order Number: 88-13
Revised effective: 07-15-2002
SUBJECT: Emergency closing of city streets
PURPOSE: To establish a standard policy for the closing,
including the emergency closing, of city streets.
PROCEDURE:
A. Assessment of road conditions:
1. An on-duty Field Services Division supervisor may assign an officer
to assess the existing road conditions in an area where factors
indicate it may be unsafe for vehicles and/or pedestrians to travel.
2. The officer assessing the existing road conditions should check for
limited visibility, accumulations of snow, or any other condition that
may make travel on the street a threat to public safety.
3. The officer assessing the existing road conditions will inform the
on-duty supervisor of the conditions. The on-duty supervisor will
contact the Assistant Director of Public Works/Operations or his
foreman, and jointly make a decision as to whether or not the
existing conditions necessitate the closing of a city street.
B. When the decision is made to close a street:
1. The Public Works/Operations/Street Department will be responsible
for setting up and determining the type of barricades to be used to
close a street.
2. The Central Communications Center will notify and advise all local
emergency agencies of the street closure.
3. The on-duty supervisor will notify the news media, via a fax, or
e-mail, of the street closure.
C. The on-duty supervisor will coordinate the decision to reopen a
street with the Public Works/Operations/Street Department.
When the decision is made to reopen a street:
1. The Public Works/Operations/Street Department will clear the street
and remove the barricades.
2. The Central Communications Center will notify and advise all local
emergency agencies that the street has been reopened.
3. The on-duty supervisor will notify the news media, via a fax, or e-mail,
that the street has been reopened.
D. Additional procedures to be used if closing 19th Avenue North:
1. The on-duty supervisor will contact the Hector International Airport
Executive Director or the Assistant Director (the Northwest Airlines
desk will be contacted if the Executive Director or Assistant Director
is not available). The Executive Director or Assistant Director will be
informed that road conditions indicate that 19th Avenue North should
be closed.
2. The on-duty supervisor will determine from the Executive Director or
Assistant Director the airports scheduled flight times. If Public Works/
Operations/Street Department or the Police Department is unable to
contact airport authorities, the Airport Control Tower will be contacted
for the above information and will be kept informed of all street closing
information on 19th Avenue North.
3. The on-duty supervisor will inform Public Works/Operations/Street
Department of the flight times. The Public Works/Operations/Street
Department will make every effort to keep 19th Avenue North open as
the primary route to the airport as long as flights are scheduled for
arrival or departure.
4. The on-duty supervisor will order 19th Avenue North closed when the
Public Works/Operations/Street Department can no longer keep the
street open for travel, or flights to and from the airport cease or are
otherwise canceled. The airport Executive Director or Assistant
Director will be notified when 19th Avenue North is closed.
5. The on-duty supervisor will have the Central Communications Center
notify the North Dakota Highway Patrol of the closure of 19th Avenue
North, and request that the gates west of the intersection of 19th
Avenue North and Dakota Drive be closed.
E. Additional procedures for the reopening 19th Avenue North:
1. The on-duty supervisor will inform the airport Executive Director or
Assistant Director when the Public Works/Operations/Street
Department begins to clear 19th Avenue North and the estimated
time until the street is open.
2. The Public Works/Operations/Street Department may give the airport
Executive Director or Assistant Director the authority to use airport
equipment to assist in reopening 19th Avenue North.
F. For non-emergency requests from the public to close city streets,
the City of Fargo's Street Closure Policy (Appendix A) is to be followed:
Authorized by
Keith A. Ternes, Deputy Chief of Police
Field Services Division
APPENDIX A
____________________________________________________
CITY OF FARGO STREET CLOSURE POLICY
POLICY STATEMENT
All street closures should be done in accordance with accepted standards as outlined in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and as supplemented by the City's Work Area Traffic Control Handbook (WATCH). This includes closures for street dances, block parties, parades, road races, etc. Street closures when performed in accordance with accepted standards, will reduce the City's exposure to liability claims. The following procedures shall be followed by the Fargo Police Department and Traffic Engineers Office in regards to approval of requests for street closures:
Residential Block Parties:
1. The Police Department will receive and approve requests for
residential block parties, and will forward copies of approved
requests to appropriate agencies.
2. Block party requests will not be approved on arterial or collector
streets as shown on the approved functional classification map,
or on intersecting local streets that would disrupt traffic flow on
a principal arterial.
3. The residents shall be responsible for picking up, placing, and returning
Type I barricades to the Street Department.
4. All block parties shall end at sunset when Type I barricades are used.
Any block party which extends after dark shall use reflective Type III
barricades, and the cost for supplying and setting up the Type III
barricades shall be the residents responsibility.
Arterial Street Closures:
1. The Police Department will receive requests for closures of arterial
streets for such purposes as bridge dances, road races, parties, civic
events, parades, etc. The sponsor will be required to contact the City
Traffic Engineer regarding proper traffic control signing and procedures.
When approved by the Traffic Engineer, the request will be returned to
the Police Department by the sponsor for final approval.
2. The sponsor of the event will be required to arrange for the placement
and removal of the traffic control signing utilizing a private signing
contractor approved by the City Traffic Engineer. All signing will be done
in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and as
recommended by the City Traffic Engineer. The cost for the signing will
be the responsibility of the sponsor.
3. In lieu of hiring a private signing contractor, the sponsor may request
that the Police Department provide traffic control personnel, or the
sponsor may provide qualified traffic control personnel. The Police
Department will determine if the sponsors traffic control personnel
are qualified. If the sponsors request to use traffic control personnel
is approved by the Police Department and the City Traffic Engineer,
the City will provide necessary Type I barricades to assist the traffic
control personnel.
