ABOUT
Get Excited for TIMposium 2026!
Join us for an action-packed day where responders, supervisors, and trainers
come together to enhance their skills in a dynamic, hands-on environment!
This is your chance to dive into best practices forge valuable connections
that will elevate highway incident management across the state,
boost responder safety, and protect the traveling public.
Mark your calendars: Wednesday, May 20, 2026,
@ The New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY!
Calling all Traffic Incident Management (TIM) First Responders from New York State — don’t miss out!
Register to secure your spot!
AGENDA*
7:00 AM – 7:45 AM - Event Registration and Morning Refreshments
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7:45 AM– 9:00 AM
Honor Guard, Posting of Colors & Pledge
Welcome & Opening Remarks:
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New York State Police ,Lieutenant Colonel Christopher T. Zaba​​
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9:10 AM – 9:40 AM - Session 1: Current & New Tools for TIM
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Understanding the Role of Emergency Responders and Roadway Safety
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NYSDOT presents on tools that are used at NYSDOT to assist with TIM.
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9:40 AM – 9:55 AM - Networking Break/ Exhibitor Review/ Photos
9:55 AM - 10:55 AM - Session 2: Supplemental TIM Training
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2-Lane TIM
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Public Safety Telecommunicators Role in Traffic Incident Management
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11:00 AM – 12:00 PM - Session 3
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Indoor Panel: NYS Agriculture and Markets Traffic Incident Notifications & CART - Large Animal Transport Incidents​
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Outdoor Demo: How to stay safe from Electrical Hazards on a scene?
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Outdoor Demo: Bus Rollover Scene Competition
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12:00 PM – 1:00 PM - Working Lunch/ Networking/ Exhibitors
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1:00 PM – 2:00 PM - Plenary
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Data, Dollars, and Deaths: Making TIM an Uncompromising Priority - Todd Leiss​​
2:05 PM - 3:05 PM - Session 4
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Indoor Panel: On Scene Media Relations - Awareness
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Outdoor Demo: How to stay safe from Electrical Hazards on a scene?
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Outdoor Demo: Drones for Scene Reconstruction
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3:05 PM - 3:20 PM - Networking Break/ Exhibitor Review/ Photos
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3:20 PM – 4:20 PM - Session 5
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Indoor Panel: Responder Mental Health
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Outdoor Demo: How to stay safe from Electrical Hazards on a scene?
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Outdoor Demo: Inside Look at the Tow World
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4:20 PM – 4:45 PM - Closing Remarks
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​*subject to change
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HOTEL INFORMATION
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS & PRESENTERS
Understanding the Role of Emergency Responders and Roadway Safety
Concurrent Session 1A, Empire Theater
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Struck-by incidents continue to be an alarming trend for responders. During this interactive presentation, Chief Denniston will explain the importance of attitude, training, and proper policies and procedures in reducing the number of injuries and deaths across the state and country each year. Unified Command, advanced warning, coordination, and public education are no longer options; they are necessities. Each organization must complete a community vulnerability and needs assessment in order to mitigate the chances of YOU becoming the next tragic headline.
David Denniston is the Senior Vice President of Risk Management for McNeil and Company (ESIP) and serves as Executive Director of the National FARMEDIC Training Program. Dave has been in Emergency Services for 30-plus years with the Cortlandville Fire Department in Upstate NY. Chief Denniston has presented emergency vehicle operation, social media, and leadership classes at several state, regional, and national shows and conventions, including Firehouse Expo in Baltimore, San Diego, and Orlando, and IAFC conferences in Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and Atlanta. He has been the keynote speaker at State Conventions in New York, Indiana, Colorado, and Washington. Dave sits on two NFPA tech committees and has articles printed in several trade magazines.
NYSDOT Work Zone Safety & Practices to use at a Crash
Concurrent Session 1B, Martha Eddy
An overview of the safety components and equipment found in work zones and how they relate to crash scenes.
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Craig D’Allaird is a Professional Engineer currently serving as a Safety Evaluation Engineer with NYSDOT’s Highway Safety Bureau. In this role, he evaluates roadway safety performance and supports initiatives aimed at improving transportation safety across New York State. Prior to joining NYSDOT, Craig worked as a civil engineer with NYSDEC and also served as the Commissioner of Public Works for the Town of Glenville, New York, where he oversaw municipal infrastructure and public works operations. Craig holds a Master of Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has built a career focused on public infrastructure, engineering practice, and transportation safety.
2-Lane TIM
Concurrent Session 2A, Empire Theater
TIM is not just for highways. This supplemental training focuses on highlighting the specific concerns and practices for sparsely populated areas, such as towns, villages, and the rolling hillsides of New York. A hands-on practical exercise will let you analyze and test a scenario showcasing how TIM is utilized on narrow roads with farms, different cultures, communities, and the ever-changing topography.
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Rich Flanagan is a public safety leader and educator serving in various leadership positions in law enforcement, the fire service, and emergency management. He retired from the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department after 20 years of service, where he held supervisory positions in patrol, the detective bureau, SWAT, and the police academy. He then served as director of the Central New York Police Academy and Public Safety Training Center for the next 20 years. He also has taught various incident command and incident management courses for five different state agencies, focusing in the last several years on the traffic incident management system, TIMS. He has taught extensively for the past 15 years at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmittsburg, Maryland. He is a member of the NYS Incident Management team that responds statewide and nationally to support major disasters as an operations section Chief and a member of the command and general staff. He is a member of the statewide TIMS steering committee and a member of the NYSOEM instructor training team.
Public Safety Telecommunicators Role in Traffic Incident Management
Concurrent Session 2B, Martha Eddy
What do 911, NITTEC, TOC, and TMC's have to do with TIM? Take a peek behind the curtains and see how these centers operate and what resources they have to offer. This presentation will cover the roles of dispatch centers and traffic operation centers (TOC) with TIM. The presentation will give the audience a better understanding of how these centers operate and what resources they have to offer. Participants will walk away with the tools necessary to get more involved with the centers in their region and learn how to use the resources they provide.
Bill Lobuzzetta is the Operations Manager of the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition (NITTEC), providing leadership and management of the 24/7 Traffic Operations Center (TOC). Bill is responsible for the TOC staff that operates multi-agency Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) within Western New York and Southern Ontario, Canada. Bill’s professional career includes over 18 years of management experience in TOC’s. Bill has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Management, and Economics from Empire State College. Bill has attended the Operations Academy Senior Management Program, the Traffic Management Center Operations Academy, and is a National Traffic Incident Management Responder Program Trainer.
Sean Crotty currently serves as the Emergency Manager for the Town of Hamburg, New York, where he also oversees the Regional Public Safety Communications Office. He is in his ninth year as Chair of the Erie County Emergency Managers Association and most recently served as Co-Chair of the NITTEC Western New York Traffic Incident Management Committee. Crotty brings more than three decades of experience as a public safety responder across multiple disciplines throughout Western New York. His service as a street and flight paramedic, volunteer firefighter, and multidisciplinary instructor and subject matter expert (SME) has provided him with broad, practical experience addressing a wide range of threats and hazards.
NYS Agriculture and Markets Traffic Incident Notifications & CART - Large Animal Transport Incidents: Spilled Food, Livestock, and Plants Oh My, what to do next? What to do and what resources are out there?
Session 3A, Martha Eddy
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Ag & Markets will go into detail and provide clear direction/context on the Department's involvement in traffic incidents involving Dairy, Food Commodities, and Animal haulers throughout New York State. The Onondaga County Animal Response Teams (ONCART) presentation showcases what tools they have and how they use them. To help all responders plan, prepare, and respond to disasters affecting pets and livestock, ensuring animal welfare during emergencies. From llamas to cats around the state, they do it all. https://alert.ny.gov/county-animal-response-teams
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Paolo Audino is currently the Emergency Management Coordinator, Health and Safety Director, and Cyber Risk Coordinator for NYS Ag & Markets. Before joining Ag & Markets, Paola was a member of the DHSES team as a security analyst and a Special Projects coordinator Intern, conducting research and analysis on terrorist actions towards first responders, supporting and developing outreach programs such as Safeguard NY, Citizens Preparedness, and emergency services Intel Sharing.
Mark Burger has been a volunteer firefighter for 44 years, starting as a member of the volunteer fire department’s Explorer Post for four years before becoming a full member. He has served in officer roles for many years. He is also a founding member of Onondaga County’s Animal Response Team “OnCART”, where he currently serves as President. His day job is as the Executive Director of the Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), where the staff of 12 work with over 300 farms across Onondaga County and the Skaneateles Lake Watershed. He received his Bachelor’s and Master of Science from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.
How to stay safe from Electrical Hazards on a scene?
Sessions 3B, 4B, 5B | Outdoor Demo Area
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Electrical safety demonstration using a mobile trailer that recreates hazards of live power lines, showing how objects like fences, ladders, and even water can become energized, often with dramatic sparks and fire, to educate first responders, utility workers, and the public on the dangers of downed lines and how to stay safe by calling 911 and assuming all wires are live.
National Grid - Live Wire
Bus Rollover Scene Set-Up Competition
Session 3C, Outdoor Demo Area
“Understanding from your initial dispatch to when Everybody Goes Home.”
A Bus Rollover incident will be staged outdoors of the main building, and participants will learn how to safely set up around an incident, stage equipment, and discuss ways to keep first responders and motorists safe while keeping traffic moving. At the same time, all participants will sharpen their learned skills and work on their teamwork with all the other first responding disciplines. Participants will also be given the opportunity to check out responding vehicles, their purpose of operation, and how they will perform during the incident.
Tom With is An Active member / Interior firefighter of the Fuller Road Fire Department of Colonie (2/88). Currently a Safety Officer, Fire Police Officer, and Past Captain in charge of FD Training. Operations CAR #8 Fire Police, of the Town of Colonie Emergency Services Committee, 1996 to present. Conduct a Monthly Meeting and Drill Program for all Town of Colonie Fire Police. TIMS training updates are always on the Program Agenda. Past President of The Fire Police Association of Albany County, 1995 – 2011, and current Member (since 1989). Past President of the Volunteer Fire Police Association of NYS, 1999 – 2001.Co-Chair of the NYSDOT TIMS Statewide Steering Comm. (2024 to present), Member since 2016, representing Volunteer Fire Police Association of the State of New York (VFPASNY) and the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY). Attended the “FHWA National Traffic Incident Management Responder Leadership, Technology, and Training Symposium”, October 20 – 22, 2023, at the National Emergency Training Center, National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Represented the NYSDOT TIMS Statewide Steering Committee. Alumnus of National Fire Academy 1995, NYS Weekends & Volunteer Incentive Program Classes.
Alexander Ruckh is a public safety professional with experience spanning military service, law enforcement, volunteer firefighting, and emergency transportation operations. He currently serves with the NYS DOT, supporting emergency preparedness, operations, training, and incident coordination. His Background reflects a long-standing commitment to public safety through all levels of government.
Data, Dollars, and Deaths: Making TIM an Uncompromising Priority
Keynote, Martha Eddy
Behind every "struck-by" statistic is a family forever changed, a budget stretched thin, and a gap in our collective safety net. This session moves beyond the "Move Over" stickers to look at the cold, hard realities of roadway incidents through the lens of the Struck-By Sentinel (SBS). By analyzing the intersection of economic impact and human loss, we will build a professional case for why Traffic Incident Management (TIM) must be a non-negotiable priority for all disciplines—from the smallest towing outfit to the largest law enforcement agency. We will challenge the status quo and provide the data-driven "why" behind making every responder a TIM hero.
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Todd Leiss is a career Traffic Incident Management (TIM) specialist with over 30 years of hands-on experience across the emergency response spectrum. His background includes service as a volunteer firefighter, EMT, HazMat technician, and 911 dispatcher, giving him a unique, 360-degree perspective on roadway safety. Todd is the retired TIM Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, where he managed the towing and recovery program and established landmark training requirements for leadership. Currently, he serves as the volunteer Deputy Director of Training for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) and is the Founder of TIM Heroes, Inc. As the creator of the Struck-By Sentinel, Todd focuses on the data-driven economic and human impacts of struck-by incidents. He is a co-founder of the National Emergency Roadway Responder Safety Coalition (NERRSC) and currently serves as the 1st Vice President of the CVVFA.
On Scene Media Relations-Awareness: What to do with the Media? Why is it a good idea to have a plan? How can they help TIM?
Concurrent Session 4A, Martha Eddy
This presentation will focus on the needs of the media at the scene of an incident and what they are trying to get, as well as the role that responders play in facilitating good media relations and keeping a secure and safe scene.
Presenter & Biography Info: Steve Hauck has over 17 years of experience as a public information officer and is currently a PIO for the NYS Incident Management Team. Steve retired after 22 years from the Utica, NY Police Department, where he retired as a Lieutenant.
Steve has multiple deployments to disasters across the country and serves as a Public Information instructor for the NYS Office of Emergency Management and FEMA.
Technical Sergeant Jack L. Keller serves as the Assistant Director of Public Information for the New York State Police, assigned to Division Headquarters in Albany. In this role, he oversees statewide media relations, strategic communications, and public messaging on behalf of the Superintendent and Executive Staff. Sgt. Keller has extensive experience coordinating communications during large-scale incidents, critical investigations, and high-profile events. He works closely with Troop Public Information Officers across New York to ensure accurate, timely, and coordinated messaging that supports responder safety, operational integrity, and public awareness. With a background in field operations and incident response, Sgt. Keller brings practical, on-scene experience to media and scene management. His focus is on integrating public information strategy into Traffic Incident Management, helping agencies maintain scene control, protect responders, and use media engagement as a tool to improve roadway safety and public compliance.
Drones for Reconstruction: What Do They Need & Why:
Session 4C, Outdoor Demo Area
Discuss and provide a live demonstration on the usage and role of the UAS/Drone in the on-scene investigation of collisions and crime scenes. What helps them & what hurts? What does the reconstruction look like?
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Investigator Devin Bacon with the NYS Police Troop E Collision Reconstruction Unit, joined the New York State Police in 2012 and worked as a Trooper in Troop E. In 2017, Devin received his Part 107 UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) License from the FAA. The New York State Police created a UAS unit in 2018, in which Devin was one of thirty operators to first receive training and fly successful missions across the state. Devin was promoted to Investigator and assigned to the Collision Reconstruction Unit in Troop E in 2020. The Troop E Collision Reconstruction Unit covers and provides Collision Reconstruction services to ten counties in the greater Finger Lakes/Rochester Region.
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During his last six years, Devin has continued the professional reputation of this specialty unit throughout Troop E. Annually, over 70 reconstruction and crime scene investigations benefit from his knowledge and expertise in the operational standards, continuous training, and advanced equipment. Devin has received over 1500 hours of crash reconstruction training and provided expert testimony in numerous criminal and civil proceedings. Devin holds an ACTAR (Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction) accreditation.
Vicarious Trauma and PTSD of the First Responder
Session 5A, Martha Eddy
Provide specialized mental health, trauma support, and peer-to-peer counseling for first responders (police, firefighters, EMS) to combat high rates of stress, burnout, and PTSD. These programs address the "culture of silence" and stigma in the first responder community by providing confidential resources, including post-critical incident seminars and specialized training for peer volunteers.
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NYS Police Investigator Alexander Hyra Senior Investigator Alexander Hyra has been serving in the NY State Police since May 2006. In 2017, Hyra was promoted to Investigator after working as a road Trooper in Wappinger, Poughkeepsie, and Brunswick. In 2019, Investigator Hyra attained his permanent rank as a Sergeant and became the Acting Senior Investigator at the Brunswick Barracks. In 2020, Investigator Hyra interviewed and became a Regional Coordinator within the Employee Assistance Program and covered Troops K, H, and G. Additionally, Investigator Hyra has assisted numerous outside agencies with EAP services. In 2025, he was promoted to Senior Investigator in the Employee Assistance Program and is responsible for and oversees the 11 EAP Investigators throughout the state. Prior to his career in law enforcement, Senior Investigator Hyra was a career Firefighter/Paramedic with the City of Watervliet Fire Department from 2003-2006. Senior Investigator Hyra has also been a Volunteer Firefighter with the Center Brunswick Fire Company since he was 16 and is currently the Fire Chief.
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Investigator Lisa MacLauchlin
Inside Look at the Tow World
Session 5C, Outdoor Demo Area
Can you upright a School Bus? Why do they do the things they do? Why is this taking so long? How do they make it happen? Unseen factors they are looking at.
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Chris Morin, Towing and Recovery Operations Manager for Big Red Towing. Chris has been a member of the Big Red family for 16 years. Born into the towing and recovery industry through his family’s recovery business, Chris developed a deep respect for the profession from an early age. In 2024, he was recognized as a WreckMaster Top 10 Operator by WreckMaster, Inc., an honor presented during an award ceremony at the American Towman Exposition in Baltimore. Despite his leadership role, Chris remains active in the field, believing that staying hands-on helps him stay connected to the evolving challenges, expectations, and responsibilities of the towing and recovery industry. Chris is also a strong advocate for professional development and safety.
Exhibitors
