A crash or other incident occurs late at night on Interstate 70. Police and other emergency personnel are on the scene. Now - within 30 minutes - a MoDOT emergency response truck can be on the scene to help law enforcement officials control traffic and quickly clear the roadway.

The expansion of MoDOT’s Emergency Response program, which took effect Oct. 1, makes it possible for the department to help law enforcement with incidents on Interstates 70 and 44, day or night. The program centers around a team of highly trained employees who are solely responsible for helping with traffic incidents.

“MoDOT developed the Emergency Response program because Missouri law enforcement needed incident assistance more frequently,” said Dan Bruno, MoDOT statewide incident management coordinator. “The program is designed to provide aid for late-night and weekend incidents.”

Fully equipped trucks that contain traffic control equipment, torches, absorbent materials, tools and other equipment used to quickly clear roadways help the team do their job. The employees, who are located 30 to 40 miles apart, take the vehicles home to expedite response times. During down time, the employees help out maintenance crews in their area.

In addition to the trucks, MoDOT received a Homeland Security grant in 2005 to purchase and equip several custom trailers. They arrived in June and are housed in maintenance sheds along I-70 and I-44. The trailers help the Emergency Response trucks if they are unavailable or need additional help at a scene. MoDOT plans to purchase several other supplemental trailers as needed. Twenty trucks and nine trailers are currently in operation.

The Emergency Response program began in 1998 in St. Louis and Kansas City as a spin-off of the MoDOT’s Motorist Assist program, which began in 1993 to patrol certain portions of the urban highways from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 “MoDOT’s program is modeled off the successes of several other states, especially Washington, Tennessee and Georgia,” Bruno said. “Reponses to the program have been so positive in Kansas City and St. Louis that we decided to extend the program to I-70 and I-44.”

The department also plans to expand the Emergency Response program to Interstates 55, 29 and 35 in the next few years.