More than 100 emergency response professionals gathered last weekto discuss ways to improve getting to the scene and to ask motorists to show respect by moving over or slowing down for stopped emergency and maintenance personnel and equipment.

The meeting was held in conjunction with National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency headquarters near Harrisburg."Our summit theme is 'One Vision, One Voice, All Together,' and our focus is working collaboratively to become more effective, safe and efficient as a whole," said Jon Fleming, chief of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Maintenance Technical Leadership Division. "While there has been regional coordination among responders in certain areas, our goal is implementing a statewide TIM (Traffic Incident Management) program here in Pennsylvania."Jeffrey Thomas, the executive deputy director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said, "Those of us in the response community want motorists to realize that we are joining forces to do a better job when it comes to incident response and management. As a group, we urge drivers to do their part by following the state law."Pennsylvania's "Steer Clear" law - enacted to help prevent injuries and save lives - requires drivers to move over or slow down when they encounter an emergency scene, traffic stop or disabled vehicle. Drivers must move over or slow down for all responders, including police, fire and ambulance, as well as stopped tow trucks and maintenance vehicles."If someone is convicted of violating this law, they will face a fine of up to $250," said state police Major Edward C. Hoke, director of the Bureau of Patrol."If an emergency service responder is seriously injured or killed because a driver failed to move over, they're looking at a fine of up to $10,000 and their license can be suspended for up to a year."Those who serve as incident responders are sometimes paid little or nothing, but put their lives on the line to assist others.