NYSDOT Region 8 HELP Trucks (NY)
From The RadioReference Wiki
Contents
New York State Region 8 HELP Trucks
Information
HELP - Highway Emergency Local Patrol
Statewide:
The Highway Emergency Local Patrol (HELP) program provides free roadside emergency services on many major roads throughout the state during peak travel times. The assistance was established in 1994 to increase safety and decrease congestion by clearing broken-down vehicles from active lanes of traffic.
70 service trucks cover 16 patrol areas in many metropolitan areas throughout NYS, aiding more than 65,000 motorists annually.
Region 8 - Hudson Valley:
The HELP began operation in 1994 as the first part of a comprehensive response to increased traffic on the highways in NYS DOT Region 8. The program now boasts 38 trucks and over 800 patrol miles in the region. In 2018, these HELP trucks logged over 26,000 assists.
Each HELP vehicle patrols a specific segment of the roadway called a "sector," the combination of one or more sectors creating a "beat." There are six beats in Region 8 that cover portions of the Sprain Brook Parkway, Saw Mill River Parkway, Hutchinson River Parkway, Taconic State Parkway, Palisades Parkway, I-287, I-684, NY 17, I-84, US 6, US 9, Cross County Parkway, I-95, and I-87 (NYS Thruway)
Operations
HELP trucks in Region 8 (Westchester & Hudson Valley) Operate:
- Monday-Friday, 06:00-10:00 and 15:00-19:00
- Hours are expanded as needed for special events and holidays.
HELP Trucks in the Hudson Valley Operate in Dutchess, Putnam, Ulster, Orange, and Rockland Counties. While Help Trucks in Westchester operates in Westchester County Only.
Radio Operations/Setup
Unlike other DOT Regions R8 Help Trucks operate on the OneVoice Network DMR System.
They were using this system with the TGs 100501 & 100502 until October 2022 when they switched to the NYCOMCO DMR System. When they were using the NYCOMCO DMR System they were operating on TG 19118 & 19119. But then in April of 2023, they switched back to OneVoice Network due to poor coverage with NYCOMCO. Now HELP trucks operate on talkgroups 1898909 and 1898910 on the 171 OneVoice Network DMR System. They Can be heard on Various sites listed Below.
| DEC | Mode | Alpha Tag | Description | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898909 | TDMA | R8 HELP Trucks - Hudson Valley | Public Works | |
| 1898910 | TDMA | R8 HELP Westchtr | R8 HELP Trucks - Westchester | Public Works |
| Site | Site Name | County | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 011 (B) | Pomona | Rockland NY | Both TGs 1898909 (HV) & 1898909 (WC) |
| 012 (C) | Valhalla | Westchester NY | TG 1898910 (WC) Only |
| 013 (D) | Alpine | Bergen NJ | Both TGs 1898909 (HV) & 1898909 (WC) |
| 014 (E) | Beacon | Dutchess NY | Both TGs 1898909 (HV) & 1898909 (WC) |
| 015 (F) | North Salem | Westchester NY | Both TGs 1898909 (HV) & 1898909 (WC) |
| 016 (10) | Tinker Hill | Putnam NY | Both TGs 1898909 (HV) & 1898909 (WC) |
| 017 (11) | Warwick | Orange NY | TG 1898909 (HV) Only |
| 019 (13) | Westfall | Pike PA | TG 1898909 (HV) Only |
| 021 (15) | Woodbury | Orange NY | TG 1898909 (HV) Only |
| 023 (17) | North East | Dutchess NY | |
| 024 (18) | Dover | Dutchess NY | |
| 046 (2E) | Depot Hill | Dutchess NY | |
| 070 (46) | Putnam Valley | Putnam NY | Both TGs 1898909 (HV) & 1898909 (WC) |