PRESS RELEASE
Brian Wilson
Camille Fountain
Nov. 12, 2019 (Arlington, Texas) – With the holidays approaching, North Texans will be traveling extensively over the next few weeks. Residents who are driving to visit friends and family are encouraged to make sure their vehicles are well-maintained and that they are prepared for emergencies that might occur along the way.
For those who encounter trouble during their road trips, North Texas has mobility assistance patrol officers who can handle a multitude of situations – from wrecks to stalled vehicles – and help get people moving again.
Since 2003, the North Central Texas Council of Governments has trained over 3,000 first responders and managers to help them clear incidents on the freeways quickly and efficiently.
The Regional Transportation Council will recognize traffic incident instructors and mobility assistance patrol personnel from across Dallas-Fort Worth on Thursday.
The RTC will hold a luncheon celebrating their contributions in conjunction with National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week, which is celebrated Nov. 10-16. Additionally, mobility assistance patrol vehicles will be on display beginning at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Last year, mobility assistance patrol crews responded to approximately 135,000 incidents along the region’s roadway system. There were 121,612 crashes and 697 fatalities reported last year in the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth area. Both figures declined in 2018, but there is more work to be done.
The Traffic Incident Management training courses in North Texas seek to initiate a common, coordinated response to traffic incidents that enhances safety, improves reliability by reducing upstream traffic incidents and builds partnerships among area emergency-response agencies.
An average of nine emergency responders work a typical injury crash in the region. According to data, approximately 45 responders may be working near moving traffic every hour. So, keeping police officers, firefighters and other emergency workers safe while they respond to incidents is crucial.
NCTCOG is joining the Federal Highway Administration, key partners, and responders around the nation to celebrate this year’s theme that Safety is a Team Effort. This serves as a reminder that every person has a role in traffic incident response. Drivers and passengers, passing motorists, public safety communications professionals, emergency responders, traveler information providers, and the towing/recovery community all play a role when an incident snarls traffic and threatens lives.
About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:
NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development. NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication and make joint decisions.
NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered on the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. Currently, NCTCOG has 238 member governments including 16 counties, 170 cities, 24 school districts and 30 special districts. For more information on the NCTCOG Transportation Department, visit www.nctcog.org/trans.
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