What happens once you call 911 for a traffic incident?
September 29, 2021
You’re on the interstate, just enjoying the Iowa scenery when - all of a sudden - someone quickly merges from a ramp and clips the back of your vehicle. Your car spins and hits the cable barrier. Luckily you didn’t hit anyone else and you’re OK but pretty shaken. You grab your cell phone and call 911. What happens next?
“Every 911 call comes into one of Iowa’s 113 ‘public safety answering points,” said Ted Shipley of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Operations Division. “Typically, that would be a communication center for the Iowa State Patrol, county sheriff’s office, or other law enforcement. The answering point dispatches resources within their area of responsibility such as emergency medical services, fire, police, or the traffic management center.”