 |
|
|||||
Erik Fischer, Operations manager, Georgia Department of Transportation
Job: Operations manager, Transportation Management Center, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta
What I do: If you are a commuter, Fischer is watching you. The operations center not far off I-20 in Atlanta looks like NASA's Mission Control. Banks of video screens show live feeds of free-flowing traffic as well as jams and accidents from the 300 or so cameras around metro Atlanta, and staffers monitor computer screens as they confer with HERO units, police departments, Georgia Department of Transportation maintenance crews and even commuters. Fischer, 37, oversees the center's 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operations. "Our sole job here is traveler information," he said. The center posts messages on the signs over the freeways and runs the Georgia Navigator Web site. Staff members also dispatch HERO units to incidents or to stranded motorists; alert police and maintenance crews about incidents; monitor the 1,400 freeway cameras, which measure the speed at which traffic is flowing; and answer the *DOT cellphone line from motorists. On a typical shift, 10 to 15 people in the darkened center monitor traffic conditions on interstates and state highways throughout Georgia, but their focus is metro Atlanta, where most of the trouble is. The center's mission is to manage incidents, restore traffic flow and inform the public. In an emergency, such as a hurricane, the center works with state and federal disaster agencies to help with evacuations or traffic rerouting. It even can get involved in airplane traffic, because I-285 runs beneath Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport's fifth runway. "Every day is different. A slow day for us is wonderful for the public," Fischer said. His advice to metro-area commuters: "Check Navigator every day before you go."
What got me interested in this: Fischer used to be a long-haul truck driver and is a helicopter pilot. While he was with a trucking company, he was relocated to Atlanta as its training manager. But with consolidations in the industry, Fischer wanted job stability. So he got a job with the Georgia Department of Transportation as a supervisor in the operations department. He was promoted to operations manager in March.
Best part of my job: "Being able to help motorists -- make their commute easier and assist with emergencies." Fischer pointed out, "I'm a commuter, just like everyone else."
Most challenging part: "When we have disasters -- and hurricane season is approaching -- we put in long hours dealing with other states and agencies, especially during an evacuation. I'm constantly on the phone. Coordinating with everybody is a challenge; you deal with everybody." The weather can create a different set of challenges in the winter.
What people don't know about my job: Someone is needed to be the coordination point for federal, state and local agencies in an emergency and during everyday traffic situations, Fischer said.
What keeps me going: "My desire to improve, to come up with ways to be part of the solution. My contribution will make a difference."
Preparation needed for this job: You need to know about personnel management, as well as Department of Transportation functions and operations management. Fischer constantly takes training from the federal Department of Homeland Security, the National Highway Institute, the Georgia Department of Transportation and other federal and state agencies. It also helps to have a background in computers and technology. "We use a multitude of programs" to run the center and its Web site, he said. Fischer is working on a bachelor of arts degree in business management.
-- By Karl Ritzler, for ajcjobs. Got an interesting job that you love? E-mail your story to jobseditor@ajc.com.
