4/15/2013
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Incident Response proves timely, again - 17 minutes
BOISE - The Idaho Transportation Department’s Incident Response has always been timely – just ask the tens of thousands of Treasure Valley drivers who have been assisted by the service since the program was first deployed on Interstate 84 in the mid-1990s.
But, just how speedy, was a mystery – until now.
Incident Response began tracking response times several months ago. In February and March, 764 responses yielded an average time to arrive on scene of 10.3 minutes, measured from the time they were dispatched by Idaho State Police (ISP) until they arrived at the incident. This did not count the occasions when they come upon an incident in their travels without being dispatched, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of all responses.
Click here for picture of Incident Response assisting law enforcement.
Once on scene, it took only on average of about seven minutes to fix a flat, jump-start a car, perform traffic-control duties, or fulfill the need.
Given how vital the Incident Response unit is to traffic flow and safety along the I-84 corridor between Nampa/Caldwell and East Boise, the numbers are impressive, say ISP Capt. Steve Richardson and Command Center Coordinator Denise King.
“The Incident Response units are great to work with,” said King. "They are always enthusiastic about responding to various calls, be that for traffic control at a crash scene, to handle a motorist assist, to remove a traffic hazard or check on an abandoned vehicle.”
“Their service is invaluable,” King added. “Incident Response allows the ISP officers on the road to concentrate on investigating crashes or performing patrol functions. We often receive calls from the public or other agencies asking for help from the 'big green trucks' or from the public thanking them.”
“I can't say enough about Incident Response - they are truly a benefit to the motoring public and the officers in the Treasure Valley.”
Richardson added, “Incident Response tends to carry out these motorist assists safely and efficiently on arguably the busiest section of state or federal highway in Idaho – I-84 through the Treasure Valley.”
Referring to the recent containment of a diesel fuel spill, Richardson said, “This is one example of their excellent work. ISP and the citizens of the Treasure Valley rely on them substantially for their valuable services.”
Any incident that clogs the roadway has potential to create secondary crashes. But the faster the original incident is cleared, the less time motorists and response personnel are exposed to hazards and the possibility of secondary collisions.
For each minute a crash is not cleared, the chances of a secondary crash increase by about three percent. Each half hour a crash is not cleared almost doubles the chances of another crash.
During morning and evening weekday commuting hours, the Incident Response team offers assistance on a 20-mile stretch of I-84 between Nampa and east Boise and on the Connector (I-184).
Click here to see a map of the location Incident Response patrols.
