How Chattanooga’s highways are safer because of a small group of dedicated drivers
If you spend any time on the Tennessee Valley roadways, chances are you have seen the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s lime green HELP trucks smack dab in the middle of the mayhem assisting motorists. It’s an emotional, stressful job that can be dangerous and even deadly. But these HELP Highway Response Operators do more than change tires and deliver the occasional baby. They are many times these first responders are called on for local drivers who desperately need their help.
The HELP Program wasn’t always around. It began in Knoxville and Nashville in June 1999. Service began in Chattanooga and Memphis one year later. It was in those early days HELP manager Lacy Word says were some of the most exciting.
“Officials for the 2002 Winter Olympics Games in Salt Lake City thought so much of our program, they called us to assist them in traffic control for two weeks,” says Word. “Our team travels to this major international event, during the Rocky Mountain winter, and pulls it off without a hitch. It really got our program off to a great start.”
But it’s not so easy for these road warriors to become certified. Upon employment, HELP operators serve in the position of Highway Response Operator 1 for one year. Within that year, the operator is required to successfully complete the HELP training curriculum.
“Prior to the HELP operator’s assignment to a permanent shift and route, the trainee must successfully complete the core curriculum and 120 hours of on-the-job training through the process of ride-alongs,” explains Jennifer A. Flynn, Community Relations Officer for TDOT.
HELP operators go through a 60-hour First Responder Course and, after successful completion of the state-administered certification examination, are certified as Tennessee Emergency Services First Responders.
“Essentially, operators are one step below an Emergency Medical Technician you would find in hospital ambulances,” points out Word.
Other courses in the core curriculum include fire suppression, hazardous material first responder awareness, fire extinguisher training, incident management, special equipment training, traffic management at incident scenes, supporting other agencies, and proper use of vehicle equipment.
After long hours of intense on-the-job training, operators are armed with an arsenal of safety tools before heading out onto the highway.
Emergency medical equipment, traffic cones, traffic control signs, absorbent materials, emergency and work lights, and other incident management standards are included on every lime green truck you see. The trucks are also equipped with gasoline, diesel fuel, and water. The directional arrow boards on top of the trucks can be raised from inside the truck, cutting down operators subjecting themselves to heavy traffic. HELP operators also carry two-way radios and cell phones.
“All this equipment means nothing if our operators aren’t properly trained and realize we are the front line in a statewide team,” says Word. “We work closely with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, local police departments, fire departments and emergency medical personnel.”
Being first on the scene, HELP operators are the ones who secure the scene and stabilize injured parties until other first responders arrive. “Frequently, our role will be to assist with traffic control while the lead agency, be it the THP, the Chattanooga Police Department or the Chattanooga Fire Department perform their investigation,” adds Word.
Proper investigation of the scene is vital to improve roadway safety, and can even come out of the worst tragedies.
On June 13th, 2013 Brandon Wilson, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and Deja Morris, of West Harrison, Indiana, died when a tractor-trailer plowed into the back of their car in a traffic jam along Interstate 24 near Murfreesboro. Congestion was due to the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester.
As a result, TDOT commissioner John Schroer launched a program called “Protect the Queue.” Schroer wanted the program to stress the importance of protecting drivers caught in a traffic queue, or line, to all TDOT employees and partnering agencies. A training program on the most effective queue management techniques was launched. Since the start of TDOT’s “Protect the Queue” campaign, data gathered from July 2013 through December 2013 shows a 19 percent reduction in secondary incidents over the same period in 2012. This equates to 20 fewer secondary incidents, and could represent four lives saved.
“This program is a no-brainer since motorists usually just slow down when they see a police car,” says Word. “Our trucks stationed before a traffic jam grab the attention of drivers and let them know to slow down to avoid additional problems.”
“Traffic congestion is a serious and growing problem in Tennessee, especially in the major metropolitan travel corridors,” says Floyd. “It’s really part of a bigger picture and not just an inconvenience.”
The loss of time to commuters and truckers stuck in traffic is just the beginning. Consider the costs to businesses waiting for critical parts or supplies and those businesses waiting for associates and customers to arrive. Automobiles and trucks stuck in traffic congestion add more pollutants to the air and waste energy. Traffic congestion causes traffic crashes, and traffic congestion aggravates road rage.
State and local governments continue to work together to expand the capacity of transportation systems, but new infrastructure alone will not solve the problems associated with congestion.
Research has found two statistics that stand out when talking about highway congestion: 60 percent of all freeway congestion is non-recurring and 20 percent of all freeway crashes are secondary.
The non-recurring congestion includes traffic caused by incidents such as wrecks, debris in the road and disabled vehicles. This traffic is not because of limited highway capacity.
The secondary crashes occur when the roadway is blocked by an earlier, primary incident.
In other words, more than half of all backups occur on highway sections where roadway capacity is adequate under normal circumstances. Furthermore, one out of five freeway crashes happens after a previous incident that is still disrupting traffic flow.
Accordingly, TDOT is giving more attention to highway incident management, and TDOT is promoting quick clearance of highway incidents. The HELP Program is probably the most visible result.
“We are first on the scene and in turn deal with some emotional situations,” adds Word. “We see the good and the bad. But at the end of the day it is all worth it. I love helping people who need our guidance, be it a local driver or a visitor from out of state.”
Every day, Word gets a different perspective from the rest of the motoring public.
“Our four state transportation centers are the backbone of the operation,” says Word. “Highway cameras are tied into a database so we can push any current roadway threats out to motorists. This includes our partnership with Google and any traffic information you see through their app.”
But there are things motorists can do before anyone shows up on the scene. According to Tennessee law, when an accident occurs with no personal injury or death, the driver of each vehicle involved should remove the vehicle from the roadway whenever the move may be done safely and the vehicle is capable of being driven normally.
This is part of the TDOT SmartWay plan to address traffic congestion issues. TDOT has placed signs along the state’s interstate system and other access-controlled highways reminding motorists to move their damaged vehicles to the shoulder if no serious injury has occurred.
“This goes against popular thinking when an accident happens,” says Flynn. “Most motorists think you should not move your vehicle no matter what. But under state law, drivers should go ahead and get out of the way and wait for police after a so-called fender-bender.”
Word is in favor of any law that improves safety. He has seen the HELP program come a long way since it started 16 years ago. But he can’t forget the job has its tragic side.
“We lost an operator in 2011 while he was in the line of duty,” remembers Word. He is referring to Robert Nowicki, who died while working a stretch of I-55 in West Memphis.
“At the end of the day, this remains a dangerous job,” seconds Flynn. “Throughout Tennessee, we have had HELP Operators injured and killed in the line of duty. When people see a HELP truck stopped on the highway, they should pay attention to it and give the truck and the operator some space.”
Flynn says you should always yield to a HELP truck just as you would to other emergency vehicles. Also, you should be aware that HELP trucks make frequent stops. Be especially careful to keep a safe following distance.
HELP services are provided without charge, and HELP operators do not accept tips. Operators give postage-paid comment cards to each motorist who receives assistance, and encourage motorists to fill out and mail the card as soon as possible after the incident.
“This is probably the most rewarding part of the job,” Word says referring to the thankfulness of drivers. “People are just blown away when we are there in their time of need.”
But one particular story sticks with Word to this day.
“I’m refueling a truck and out of the blue a guy comes up and says, ‘You probably don’t remember me, but a few years back you were like an angel from heaven.’ Those unexpected words of gratitude reinforce how important our job is out there.”