PS 3003 Project Design Summary

Background
St. Johns County Council On Aging (SJCCOA) is a non-profit
organization providing the opportunity for every person in ST. Johns County
to enjoy wellness, longevity and quality of life choices within a strong,
healthy community. The problem area researched was Rural Transit
Services.

Purpose of Project
The purpose of this project was to complete an organizational needs
assessment to detect needs of the transportation disadvantage, community
outreach, safety training related policies/procedures, and Accident/Incident
Investigation protocol.

Problem Identified
The problem identified was the lack of policies and procedures
regarding vehicle Accident and Incident investigations. SJCCOA did not
meet the standards set by FDOT or the FTA. In addition to missing a
procedural reporting foundation, the accident reporting forms being used
by drivers was outdated and lacked pertinent information. Currently, there
is no procedural structure that will guide and Accident/Incident Investigator
from point A to point B. A lack of understanding for who needs to be notified
during Accident/Incident, when to notify and what information do they need
to be provided with.

Research Method and Procedures

The techniques and procedures used to come up with solution to these
problems were found in the form of a survey and observations. The survey
was conducted face-to-face, and emailed to other organizations that provide
similar services. The observations were conducted face-to-face in staff
meetings and during program evaluations with employees.

Analysis and Findings

The overall purpose of this study was to determine if SJCCOAs
Accident and Incident Investigation strategic plan and procedures met
industry standards set forth by state and federal regulatory entities or if the
current plan puts future grant allocation for the organization in jeopardy
requiring alterations. Answers received from the survey and post-
accident/incident documents were analysed to determine viewpoints held by
state and federal agencies, other organization, and internal departments
and to predict future repercussions for SJCCOA. Cross-sectional data was
collected from members of FDOT, FTA, SJCCOA employees and other local
transit organizations to ascertain the impact on future grant procurement
or penalties.

Recommended Action Plan

Based on the evaluation of SJCOAs prior accident, incident documents

and survey results from industry professionals, it was suggested that
SJCCOA implement changes to the Accident and Incident Investigation
strategy and how it trains transit employees on organizational procedures.
Additional recommendations included pinpointing industry standards for
Accident and Incident Investigations and updating the transit training
program to include accident and incident reporting. The changes mentioned
were alterations to SJCCOAs current policies and procedures being
implemented and far outweigh the risk vs reward. Consequently, this
wouldnt have an adverse effect on day to operations of the organization.
They address the heart of the concerns that employees, state and federal
regulators have disclosed and lower the risk of losing grant funding for
future vehicles and harsher penalties. There should be follow up surveys
issued to safeguard against ineffectiveness and to review industry
standards. Prior to implementing these changes, it is crucial that SJCCOA
perform further industry research (e.g. state, federal guidelines, surveys)
due to the portion size and location of the surveys used to collect this data.
Additional research will benefit SJCCOA in confirming the necessity to
protect future funding and defend against federal and state penalties. The
cost to implement these changes is low and the need to implement is
urgent: It can be completed with current employees in place and without
adjusting the current budget.

In conclusion, this assessment focused on the organizational desire to

detect needs of the safety training related policies/procedures, and
Accident/Incident Investigation protocol. The data collected and analysed
clearly indicates that majority of those surveyed believe that changes need
to be implemented to the Accident and Incident Strategic Plan and the time
to implement changes is now.