FDOT Transit Drug and Alcohol Testing Program Manager Certificate Program

The Florida Department of Transportation is pleased to announce applications are being accepted for the FDOT Transit Drug and Alcohol Testing Program Manager Certificate Program. The program will focus on the FTA and USDOT regulations (49 CFR Parts 655 and 40) and the implementation procedures for an FTA compliant drug and alcohol testing program. The program’s curriculum will be accomplished over a period of approximately eight months, with a combination of web-based classes (webinars); assessments using computer based training (CBT); and two days of classroom-style instruction.  Most of the course material will be self-paced, to accommodate the participant’s work schedule. Learn more about the certificate program. The Certificate Program is open to all Florida transit agencies (one participant per agency, per course).

For additional information, please feel free to contact Ashley L Porter, FDOT Transit Safety Programs Manager or Diana Byrnes.

Upcoming Training

None at this time

Recorded Webinar

Beginner Drug & Alcohol Program Management Training
April 27, 2022
Presented by Diana Byrnes, CUTR

Conferences and Events

Registration is Open: June 5 – 7, 2023 | FPTA/FDOT/CUTR Professional Development Workshop & Transit Safety and Operations Summit (Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa USF Near Busch Gardens)

Registration is Open: August 29 – 30, 2023 | Transportation Disadvantaged Annual Training Workshop & EXPO (Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld)

Save the Date: October 10-11, 2023 | 2023 FPTA Annual Conference (Orlando, FL)

FTA Training Requirements

The FTA training requirement for transit employers (49 CFR Part 655.14) consists of three components:

1. Employers are required to display and distribute informational material about the dangers of substance abuse and community service hot-line telephone numbers for employees that may wish to seek assistance with substance abuse.
2. Employers are required to provide a minimum of sixty minutes of training for all safety-sensitive employees that addresses the effects and consequences of prohibited drug use on personal health, safety and the work environment and on the signs and symptoms that may indicate prohibited drug use. Please note that this requirement does not include awareness of alcohol misuse; while it is considered a strong best practice to include alcohol misuse in this training, it must be done so only in addition to the minimum prohibited drug awareness training of sixty minutes.
3. Supervisory personnel or any company official that the employer wishes to authorize to make reasonable suspicion testing referrals must receive a minimum of sixty minutes of training on the signs and symptoms of probable prohibited drug use and an additional sixty minutes of training on the signs and symptoms of possible alcohol misuse (for a total of 2 hours of training.) This training will authorize and obligate the participant to make reasonable suspicion testing referrals when specific and articulable signs and symptoms of impairment are observed in a safety sensitive employee.

The Florida Department of Transportation has funded the development and production of several training tools intended to aid transit systems in meeting compliance to the education and training requirements as outlined above. Please note that employers (transit systems) are responsible for ensuring that the training implemented is meeting at least the minimum training required in 49 CFR Part 655.14. Employers must also retain key documentation related to the training: agendas, sign-in sheets, copies of the training materials and copies of any training certificates that are issued to the participants.