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The Operations Manager, Laura Porter, is responsible for assuring that the bridge operations are preformed according to State and Federal DOT and U.S. Coast Guard Regulations, City and County ordinances as well as O.S.H.A. standards. As Operations Manager she tracks all accidents and injuries, performing root cause analysis and developing corrective action plans. She is responsible for our Environmental Health and Safety Program, and Human Relations. Laura is responsible for the hiring, training, and supervision of the bridge-tending supervisors. She attends regular meetings with the clients to discuss any special operational or performance issues.
The Project Manager, John Matthews, is responsible for the integration of the maintenance activities with the bridge operations. He schedules repairs, determines alternate operating procedures when needed and provides the associated special training.
The Contract Manager, James Porter is responsible for cost analysis strategies, and all functions to do with invoices issued to the Department. He coordinates the services of the subcontractors who provide payroll, accounting, insurance, banking, and financial services. He has the responsibility to manage and administer all financial operations for a contract. He is responsible for Quality Control/Quality Assurance and provides oversight to project operations.
Quality Control Inspector will performed inspection of all aspects of the scope of services. The inspector will document site visits on appropriate Florida Drawbridges, Inc. inspection forms and confirm work activities meet the DOT Standards, Bridge Maintenance & Operations Manual, OEM requirements, Florida Drawbridges, Inc.'s policies and procedures as well as local and national codes.
Bridge supervisors are responsible for the bridge tenders operating their assigned bridges. Typically, each supervisor is responsible for 5 bridges. They ensure 24hour/7day a week scheduling and on-call response. Bridge Tender Supervisors visit each shift on a weekly basis. They verify bridge tender performance using Bridge Tender Supervisors Inspection Form and provide daily interface with the bridges and public agencies. They are ultimately responsible for maintaining all Bridge Logs.
Bridge Tenders are responsible for the safe operation of the bridges in strict compliance with DOT Bridge Operations and U.S. Coast Guard CFR33. They report directly to their Supervisor. Bridge tenders are the first response to bridge issues and number one interface with the public. All bridge tenders are trained in safe bridge operations and customer service.
Florida Drawbridges, Inc. fully understands the need for service reliability with the operation and care of the movable bridges. Waterborne traffic also depends on the timely operations of the bridges; particularly tug in tow and vessels in distress trying to negotiate the strong tidal currents under a bridge.
The first step to ensuring service reliability is a selective hiring process. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer who has built an extremely diversified work force by developing and utilizing a successful Affirmative Action Plan. The diversity of our work force contributes to our overall strength as a company by providing a well-balanced understanding of the public we serve. For example, 75% of our staff speaks Spanish and English.The core of our service reliability is our ability to identify those candidates who share our commitment and dedication to the safe and effective operation of the bridges. This practice has reduced our turnover rate for employees in the 90-day probationary period by 28% and has provided over $10,000.00 in direct savings and hundreds of hours in indirect savings in training and certification time.
For security measures, all personnel are provided annual Identification cards .
The second essential element in a management plan to ensure skilled job performance is thorough and subject-appropriate training for all employees. Each bridge location has particular traffic characteristics which dictate special training. Florida Drawbridges, Inc. also collects data monthly from each bridge that we operate including bridge openings, number of boats, total malfunctions, total down time, and accidents involving boats, vehicles, and pedestrians. We utilize this data to help us design bridge-specific training programs that focus on the current needs of each particular bridge. This along with incident analysis has resulted in the lowest incident rate in the industry for the last four years! In addition to the technical aspects of their jobs; we educate our employees thoroughly in appropriate State and Federal DOT policies, procedures, manuals and handbooks, U.S. Coast Guard, and State laws applicable to their jobs. From the first day they are placed on active duty, our personnel are well trained and tested to ensure compliance with all the applicable rules and regulations.
SUPERVISOR TRAINING
Florida Drawbridges, Inc. provides on-going training to our supervisors in interviewing skills, disciplinary procedures, motivation, administrative duties, and personnel issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination, accident reporting, and most importantly, safety training concepts. The operations manager works closely with the supervisors at all times to provide them the management support necessary. The supervisors are trained and qualified to operate (day and night) every bridge they supervise. The supervisor is further required to operate bridges on a monthly basis to retain their proficiency. Supervisors are trained to assure complete State and Federal DOT, U.S.Coast Guard, and company new hire training.
BRIDGE TENDER TRAINING
The bridge tenders are trained in compliance with State and Federal requirements, Coast Guard Regulations, and other Florida Drawbridges, Inc. Company requirements.
Once the bridge tenders have met this qualification, safety training is conducted monthly through newsletters and company-wide communications. Supervisor’s keep tenders up-to-date on all State and Federal DOT regulations and train them to constantly think - safety. The four (4) days of bridge tender training are organized as follows:
One (1) classroom day and a written examination on the items below:
a. Orientation
b. Requirements of the "Bridge Tender Manual"
c. Administration Procedures
d. U.S. Coast Guard Regulations
e. Forms and Bridge Logs
f. Emergencies (Civil Disturbances, Hurricanes, Emergency, Vehicles)
g. Safe Operational Procedures
h. Accident Reporting Procedures
i. Courtesy and Professionalism
j. Drug Free Workplace
k. Workplace Safety
l. Written ExamThree (3) days of on-site training (including one night shift) includes the following:
a. Safe Operating Procedures
b. Bridge Logs and Records
c. Emergency Procedures
d. Minimum maintenance of bridge tender house, safety equipment, lavatories
e. Operation of VHF marine radio
f. Courtesy and Professionalism
f. Coast Guard regulations
g. Lighting Reports
h. Workplace Safety
i. Bridge Specific ExamCONTINUING EDUCATION
Florida Drawbridges, Inc. provides a minimum of eight hours per year continuing education for each bridge tender. This includes Coast Guard and DOT regulations, bridge-specific concerns, malfunction procedures, special events training, safe operational procedures, documentation and reporting procedures. These classes review relevant updates by the Department, the Coast Guard, or the State.
Our statewide experience enriches Florida Drawbridges, Inc.'s overall understanding of different bridge operational issues and is incorporated in our training programs. The classes are scheduled in large groups and guest speakers such as the Coast Guard or State and Federal DOT personnel often join the class. This annual, group style approach allows for the exchange of bridge tender experiences and enhances “Best Practice Sharing.”
This type of exchange would include the time that a bridge tender on 12 Ave. Bridge noticed a vehicle flashing his lights and honking his horn trying to cross the bridge just as he was starting an opening. He immediate called the vessel and told the captain that he may have an emergency on his bridge, could the vessel halt and allow him to let the vehicle pass first. The Captain said that he could. We found out later that the car was driven by a man who was rushing his son, whom had stopped breathing, to the hospital and the extra minuets saved the child’s life!
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Our record of safe bridge operations has proven that this proactive practice reminds all our employees not only of the importance of their jobs, but also the importance of the rules that keep it safe for them and the public. Through regular training and continuing education our workforce has the solid skills and training necessary to provide the best-qualified bridge operators to State and Federal Departments of Transportation.
We are committed to providing a safe working environment to promote the health, safety and well being of our employees. We have a comprehensive safety program developed specifically for drawbridge operations, maintenance and repair work-scope and most importantly, we have executed the plan with outstanding results.
The Safety Program Consists of:
1. Hazard Assessment and Control
2. Routine Communications with Employees on Safety and Health Issues
3. Enforcement of the Safety Program
4. Initial and on-going Safety and Health Training
5. Detailed Record Keeping
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The above chart shows a comparison between Florida Drawbridges, Inc. and the industry as a whole concerning on the job injuries. This chart displays the frequency rate of claims per 200,000 man hours of work. We are very proud of our impeccable safety record particularly sense this was attained during a record hurricane season with widespread power outages and severe damage to the roads and bridges.
Florida Drawbridges, Inc. has provided employees to continually staff drawbridges, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This gives us extensive insight into the best strategies needed to continually maintain 24 / 7 schedules.
The key to scheduling bridge tending operations is to keep a large enough staff on board to cover weekends, holidays, and unscheduled absences. We also cross train our tenders so that they are qualified to operate different bridges as the need may arise. We constantly monitor the marketplace and maintain a pool of available personnel ready to jump in to prevent unexpected shortfalls due to long illnesses, vacations, transfers, or terminations.
Common to all of our scheduling requirements is the need to provide a contingency system that will guarantee 100% coverage for all of the bridges. Monthly schedules are posted on each bridge. The supervisors will revise and repost the schedules as needed, immediately notifying by phone any bridge tender impacted by the change. We have a 3-hour minimum call-off procedure and a policy that prevents a bridge tender from leaving a bridge until a replacement has arrived.
In addition, Florida Drawbridges, Inc. maintains local phone numbers that will reach an upper level manager twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. These numbers, along with the phone numbers of alternate bridge tenders, supervisors, assistant supervisors and maintenance men are posted on every bridge.
Florida Drawbridges, Inc.' has facilitated several workout sessions with our supervisors and employees to share best practices on scheduling techniques. We have been very effective with our scheduling because we thoroughly understand the needs of the project and work hard to meet the needs of our people.
We understand that to provide the best service to our clients requires prompt and free flowing lines of communications. Florida Drawbridges, Inc.'s entire response team, including the Operations Manager, Project Manager, Electricians, Mechanics, Supervisors and bridge tenders (on duty) respond to calls 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days.
Florida Drawbridges, Inc. monitors the market place for the highest performance wireless /direct connect service to maximize response capabilities in normal as well as emergency situations. A list of current contact numbers is maintained and distributed to State and Federal DOT, U.S. Coast Guard, and local hospitals and emergency services. Our company published contact numbers for faxes, office phones, voice mail, and email to expedite all needed communications.
The supervisors immediately report any failure, disorder or breakage which will in any way affect the efficient operations of the bridges, fender systems, safety devices, or other appurtenances to the appropriate staff. The report will, whenever possible, include full information regarding the circumstances and repairs that can be made without delay on that repair staff has been contacted and are on there way. Bridge Tenders are trained to notify their supervisor of any unusual occurrence immediately.
The supervisor will notify the US Coast Guard if emergency repair work will interrupt marine traffic for more than half an hour, or if the repair work requires the use of a barge which would interrupt marine traffic. If a similar event to the one described above occurs and the emergency repair is anticipated to interrupt vehicular traffic for more than half an hour, the local police will immediately be notified along with other emergency services.
Florida Drawbridges, Inc.'s communications also include procedures for emergency situations. This includes hurricanes such as Wilma, which knocked out phone services for quit sometime. Florida Drawbridge procedures set a location and predetermined time for meeting of staff to communicate and start whatever repairs or operations are required to get the bridges back into operation. These types of communications fallback procedures are what set Florida Drawbridge apart from other contractors.
Florida Drawbridges, Inc.'s communication procedures are in place, reliable and allow for the optimum response to any and all situations. They keep Florida Drawbridges, Inc.'s staff, the Department and local authorities abreast of all pertinent information about activities on the bridges. An effective communication network is the key to a successful response organization.
954 788-0969
BRIDGE MAINTENANCE : MAJOR BRIDGE REPAIR : BRIDGE TENDERS : RESPONSE CAPABILITIES : INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
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