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Before I begin, I would like to give credit to the authors of this article: Thanks go to David Schultheis, WB6KHP; Barry Thaysen, WB6UGG; Chuck Hogate, N6LAW; Joni Corley and finally to Dick Rawson, N6CMJ who actually wrote this article for SVECS in June of 1987. And of course, thanks to SVECS for allowing me to use this article for the training net. Some minor editorial changes have been made to make it more readable over the air. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > If you come across a traffic accident, could you report it clearly and quickly by radio? What agency should you call? Would you be ready with the answers to a dispatcher's questions? Could you describe the situation, the vehicles involved, and their locations? Or, if you came across some other type of traffic problem, does it really deserve to be reported by radio? Let's start with the last question first. When Should You Call the Police, Fire department, etc.? Any Ideas? <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > Use your best judgment; if you think it's an emergency, make the call. But sometimes we aren't sure if a problem is really an emergency. A car on fire clearly is, but how about a stalled car ? First, consider whether the situation is dangerous . Should somebody (police, fire, paramedics) be sent to handle it? If so, it is "dispatchable," and yes, you should call it in. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > A car stalled where it blocks traffic is dangerous. Someone may hit it, or cars trying to get around the blockage may get hit. A malfunctioning traffic signal, or anything else that seriously disrupts traffic, is hazardous. A vehicle stalled on a freeway, although safely away from traffic lanes, should still be reported, particularly if an occupant needs help . It can be dangerous for that person to try to walk for help, especially if the car is stalled in the center of the freeway. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > What Should You Notice Before Calling? Anybody. . . . <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > As soon as you recognize an emergency to report, try to spot the details that you will need. By the time you are on the phone with a dispatcher, it may be too late; you may have passed the scene. Is there a crime involved ? A party to a traffic accident may have left the scene. That is a crime, and it happens quite often. In this case, the police will want the vehicle license number and as detailed a description as you can provide. When you have some free time, practice reporting a traffic accident or crime; think through the process to yourself. For example, pick a car near you on the road, and describe it briefly. Or describe your own car's location. Look at street signs on your way to work so you can learn the side streets. Pick a stranger in a crowd and describe him or her; what information would the police need to identify this person? <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset >
Find a concise way to say what is wrong; the fewer words, in plain English, the better. Keep in mind how your statement will be used. The emergency service agency needs to evaluate how serious the problem is, and how urgently it must be handled. They will respond to an injury accident more urgently than to a car abandoned on the shoulder, out of the way of traffic. They need your eyes to see what is happening. The agency must make this decision based on what you report, so pick the most important facts to tell the dispatcher when they answer the phone. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > Here are some examples:
<PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > Here are some significant things to watch for:
<PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > The agency probably wants less detail than you think! State the name of the road, which side, which direction, and the nearest cross street or freeway exit it precedes or follows. Here are some examples:
• The offramp from Southbound 880 to Lark Ave. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > Direction of travel is also very important on a freeway or other divided road. If the problem is at an intersection, say so. But don't bother to state the exact distance from an exit or other landmark unless you are asked. "Just north of" or "west of" is usually sufficient. However, if it is near a freeway ramp, try to notice whether responding units can reach the problem by driving onto the freeway at that ramp. This may affect which units should be sent to the problem, as well as how they can get there. They may have to get on the freeway at a previous ramp. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > For reporting freeway locations and directions, the following highways run North and South: 85, 101, 280, 680, and 880. That is the convention used for these highways throughout this area, even if the map clearly shows 280 running East and West at places. This is what the Highway Patrol expects to hear. However, if you don't know the compass direction, say "headed towards San Francisco," etc.; they will figure it out. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > Position on the road is also important. It obviously helps the responding units find the problem. But it also affects how seriously the agency will view the problem. On a freeway, the usual choices are: • in a lane (or several lanes) of traffic • in the divider • on the right shoulder • on an onramp or offramp • at the gore point of an onramp or off-ramp Does anyone know what a gore point is? <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > A "gore point" is the wedge shaped island that appears or disappears where a ramp joins the freeway. What is considered the "number one" lane of a road or freeway? <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > Lanes are numbered from left to right. The so-called "fast lane" is number one and the slow lane is number two or higher depending on the number of lanes on the road. If there is only one lane , it obviously is the number one lane.
If you don't know, say so. But if everyone involved seems to be walking around, and you see no major vehicle damage, you could report that no one appears injured. Report what you see. The agency will evaluate how to respond. The better you observe, the more the agency has to go on. Unless you actually stopped at the scene and investigated, the agency knows you can't be certain whether there are injuries. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset> Some responses to this question are:
Distinguish between "trapped in the car" and "still sitting in the car." They imply very different levels of danger, and different kinds of emergency aid. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset >
For an accident or stall, what's needed is a simple vehicle description to help responding units find the vehicle. You should notice the color and general kind of each vehicle. You don't need to give an extensive description including the year, make, model, and exact shade of color. If it’s too hard to judge the color at night, just describe the color as light or dark . Here are some examples:
<PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > You usually don't need the license number for a stranded motorist, or a traffic accident. Write it down if convenient, but you probably won't be asked for it unless a crime is involved. To report a crime, more details are better. Note the vehicle license number if possible. What can you say that would help the police recognize the vehicle? All of the following could be useful:
<PAUSE for the Repeater to reset >
<PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > If you report a crime, you can expect to be asked for a description similar to the following:
<PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > This gets complicated when you look closely. But most of the time simple rules apply. Report freeway traffic problems and vehicle fires to the Highway Patrol. On city streets, report traffic problems to the number listed for police, and fires to the number listed for fires. Most local repeater autopatch systems are set up to give you the correct agency this way; you don't have to distinguish which cities use which agencies. But there are a lot of complications. When reporting an injury accident, and you don't know what city it's in, call the paramedics via Santa Clara County Communications (on WB6ADZ, that's autopatch number 34). County Comm will send the paramedics and the proper police and fire agencies. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > If it's another type of incident, and you don't know who to call, call someone. Most agencies will take the information and give it to the proper agency. The CHP has jurisdiction on:
CHP jurisdiction includes the ramps onto and off of a highway or freeway, and even the intersection between a city street and a ramp. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset> The four Highway Patrol offices that serve the southern Bay Area, and the approximate boundaries among them, are: • Redwood City: North (and west) of Freeway 85 • Hayward: North of Dixon Landing Road • San Jose: South of these roads • Hollister-Gilroy: South of Blossom Hill Road The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office handles police duties for the cities of Cupertino, Saratoga, and the Town of Los Altos Hills. The Sheriff's Office also handles criminal law enforcement in the unincorporated County areas where the CHP handles traffic matters. The City of Monte Sereno is protected by the Los Gatos PD. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > On a freeway, report a vehicle fire to the Highway Patrol unless you are certain which fire agency would respond. On city streets, it saves valuable time to call the fire department of the correct city. However, if you pick the wrong one, they will usually take your report and relay it for you. In Santa Clara County, both a paramedic unit (ambulance) and a fire department unit are dispatched to a traffic accident involving injuries. Exactly what fire equipment is sent varies by jurisdiction. The fire crews are trained as emergency medical technicians. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset and for Responses to the question > There are three general categories of fire departments in the County. Any of them may respond to highway accidents, depending on location.
<PAUSE for the Repeater to reset > OK – Let’s put together a checklist of the items you need to know: Checklist
ü Traffic accident ü Stalled vehicle ü Faulty traffic signal
ü Northbound 280 just past Page Mill Rd
ü If so, how many and how bad
ü Identify at least the color and type of vehicle, e.g. black truck or green sedan. <PAUSE for the Repeater to reset >
ü If so, you need to know their
THIS CONCLUDES "REPORTING TRAFFIC PROBLEMS BY RADIO." ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? This page was last updated 04/21/02 |