Using the hashtag #CRSW, BACTS encourages first responders and drivers alike to share their experiences and stories.

Mark your calendars for November 13-17, as BACTS – the Bangor Area Comprehensive Transportation System – joins forces with the national Crash Responder Safety Week, taking the opportunity to bring to light the courageous and often underrepresented stories of our local responders. Every day, these heroes put their lives at risk to ensure our roads are safe and functional. BACTS works every day with partners, including firefighters, emergency medical services, law enforcement, towing and recovery, public works, and safety service patrols. These partners include:

• Maine Turnpike Authority,
• Maine State Police
• Bureau of Highway Safety
• Maine Emergency Medical Services
• Maine Fire Marshal’s Office
• Maine Chapter of American Public Works Association
• Maine Municipal Association,
• Maine Fire Chiefs’ Association
• Maine Department of Transportation
• AAA Northern New England

Collectively, traffic incident responders work to assist road users in need, applying well-rehearsed procedures to provide emergency traffic control and quickly clear incidents from roadways. Maine’s “Move Over Law” was enacted in 2007 to help protect responders and motorists. It was expanded in 2023 to include not only emergency vehicles but any vehicle alongside the road with flashing lights, including passenger vehicles, tow trucks, utility company vehicles and garbage trucks.The Federal Highway Administration, along with national partners, states, and local responders, are invested in this event to reduce the number of traffic incident responders who suffer injuries or lose their lives in the line of duty. In 2022, fifty-one traffic incident responders were tragically killed, and countless others have endured life-altering injuries. The national event leverages attention to promote Slow Down, Move Over law awareness for drivers, and free Traffic Incident Management training for responders:

• We ask all road users to protect those who protect you. When passing an incident scene, motorists are asked to slow down and, if possible, move over into an adjacent lane to provide a protective buffer between responders and motorists.
• Local responders are encouraged to take the free Traffic Incident Management (TIM) training from the FHWA to stay updated on best practices. Sign up for TIM Training here. By the end of 2023, 700,000 responders will have been trained through free in-person, online instructor-led, or online self-paced curriculum.

Click here to read Governor Janet Mills proclamation on Crash Responder Safety Week.