Public Transportation Division Staff First to Receive Safety Certifications through USDOT

After two years of hard work in addition to their day-to-day responsibilities, three Public Transportation Division employees have reached and exceeded a goal that will not only benefit the department, but will also have a lasting, positive impact on the riders of North Carolina’s transit systems.

Safety and Security Program Manager Richard Jones (far left in picture) and Security Specialist Henry Staten (far right in picture) are the first in the history of the division to acquire Manager of Environmental, Safety and Health Programs (MESH), and Transit Safety and Security Program (TSSP) certifications. Safety and Security Specialist Malcum Massenburg (center in picture) has also received TSSP certification and is currently completing requirements for MESH certification. These achievements are vital to the oversight of safety at the rural and small urban public transportation systems that serve riders in all 100 North Carolina counties.

“Working directly with North Carolina’s transit systems, we have seen first-hand the importance of safety training not only for the safety of vehicle operators, but for the safety and well-being of all citizens who depend on these services to get where they need to go on a daily basis,” said Jones. “We are grateful for the support of Secretary Tony Tata and Deputy Secretary Richard Walls and hope that these certifications will enable us to help the department reach its goal of connecting people and places safely.”

The initial goal of Jones, Massenburg and Staten was to acquire the MESH certification to help improve safety oversight and provide technical assistance to transit agencies across the state, as well as give them the tools to better develop and implement various safety and security program plans. The MESH certificate program is sponsored by the N.C. Department of Labor, North Carolina State University Industrial Extension Service, and the Safety and Health Council of North Carolina.

While working on the required 100 course hours for MESH certification, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century (MAP-21) federal law was passed. As part of this law, federal and state employees who conduct safety audits and examinations of public transportation systems are now required to receive safety certification. To meet this requirement, Jones, Massenburg and Staten began training to earn the Transit Safety and Security Program (TSSP) certification provided through the USDOT Transportation Safety Institute (TSI)/Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).

TSI’s training is the epitome of USDOT’s safety, security and emergency management training concept. The training takes into account the implementation of MAP-21 in addition to the latest requirements of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and Transit Rail Regulation 49 CFR Part 659. To receive certification, several courses must be completed in the areas of transit safety and security, focusing on effectively managing emergencies, processes for investigating bus collisions, bus system safety and transit system security. 

By completing the required courses for TSSP, Jones, Massenburg and Staten now have a broad-based understanding of safety and security principles applicable to transit operations and management, and the knowledge to develop and implement safety and security program plans.

In addition to receiving MESH and TSSP training, the trio also completed TSI courses in substance abuse management and program compliance, reasonable suspicion determination and transit industrial safety management. By completing these additional courses, Jones, Massenburg and Staten now qualify to receive a World Safety Organization (WSO) certification. The WSO offers multiple certifications in the area of safety in the fields of construction, technology and transportation, just to name a few.

The Public Transportation Division’s Safety and Security Program serves as a resource for transit systems serving riders in all 100 North Carolina counties. The program performs safety oversight at transit systems and provides safety training for system employees.