Here’s a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.E.R.O._(Highway_Emergency_Response_Operator)
I never heard of this free service before moving to Atlanta but it makes so much sense that I hope other municipalities are doing this too.
When we had that severe gas shortage, a lot of cars ran out of gas on the interstate highways. The H.E.R.O. units gave them enough gas to make it off the highway at no charge at all.
Are there similar free services in your neck of the woods?
I live in Atlanta, and I see these guys out all the time. They helped my mom change her tire, and while I can do that myself, she had 3 kids in the car at the time, one in diapers, so it was very nice to have help. They are great! Atlanta has cameras on the highway, so you hope you are in front of one if you have trouble.
Nice for the recognition!
Hoosier Helpers in Indiana, in the Gary, Louisville, and Indianapolis metro areas. I wasn’t aware until looking them up that the drivers are also trained for medical emergencies.
Tennessee DOT operates a similar program; I’ve seen the trucks cruising 75 and 24 here in Chattanooga. I hope I never need them, but when I moved here I thought it was pretty darn cool that they are out there.
Apropos of nothing:
How to tell if you’re an old school geek: The first thing you thought of when you read the thread title was, “Georgia’s got a Helicopter Equipped Rescue Operation?”
Carry on.
The Missouri DOT has had a Motorist Assist program on St. Louis- and Kansas City-area interstates since 1993. Sadly, MoDOT Motorist Assist Operator Ken Hoierman was struck and killed August 15, 2006 by a driver in a work zone on Interstate 55 near St. Louis, while Mr. Hoierman was helping at a vehicle fire. There is also a spin-off program Emergency Response program (designed more for accidents than just simple breakdowns) which started in 1998 and is still expanding.
I ran out of gas on I-95 just north of Jacksonville, FL one Thanksgiving Day, and had HERO-like formal assistance guy help. The guy drove me to a gas station and let me use his portable gas tank to buy and transport it back to my car. This was 1998 or so.
There’s something like this called “FIRST” here in Ohio. Freeway Incident Response Service Team.
Even Los Angeles has a service like that. My car overheated on the dreaded 405, and while I was pulled over on the inside shoulder trying to call someone to come help, a tow truck showed up and not only got me off the freeway, but all the way to a gas station to drop off my car, then took me personally to my destination.
And since they work for the government, they aren’t even allowed to accept tips!
There’s the Mile High Courtesy Patrol in the Denver Area.