On Aug. 6, the Midland County Commissioners Court convened to discuss a proposal from the Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP) during their meeting. A presentation about the Highway Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Program was given by PSP CEO and President Tracee Bentley.
The initiative seeks county funding partners to establish the program, operating as a safety service patrol designed to improve roadway safety and minimize the impact of crashes and other incidents on the transportation network. During the meeting, Bentley explained that the organization has been developing the HERO Program internally for two years.
The PSP has been in discussions with the TxDOT Odessa District and TxDOT Administration to bring HERO to the Permian Basin. The proposal includes implementing the program on I-20 and SH 191 in Ector and Midland Counties, with four HERO trucks operating on a fixed schedule seven days a week. The cost for this program is estimated at $5 million over two years. Bentley expressed hope that after this period, TxDOT would incorporate the program into their budget to sustain it.
The HERO Program involves specially trained staff and a fleet of patrol vehicles equipped with digital message signs and cameras to assist on major roadways. These vehicles send live images back to dispatch, aiding in effective incident management. The services provided by HERO crews include emergency temporary traffic control, clearing light debris, removing stranded or abandoned vehicles, and offering assistance such as battery jump starts.
“The one thing I want to emphasize for us that was a big seller was the help that this would provide our first responders,” said Bentley. “When they are going out and doing many of these things right now, we can have HERO trucks and those crews patrolling -- that will help take away some of our safety issues for our first responders and also allow them to do what they are supposed to do.”
Bentley highlighted the need for the HERO Program in the Permian Basin. Nationally, approximately 20% of all traffic incidents are secondary incidents. Removing stranded motorists from the roadway and warning motorists of stopped vehicles can reduce these crashes.
Since April 1, 2023, when TxDOT began tracking secondary crashes, there have been 168 secondary incident crashes of varying severity in the Odessa District. In 2022, this district had the highest fatality rate among all 25 TxDOT districts. As of 2023, the Odessa District's fatality rate was 3.24, compared to the statewide average of 1.44 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
The proposed funding breakdown includes $3 million from PSP, $1 million from Ector County, and $1 million from Midland County, with both counties contributing $500,000 per year. Funding partners would enter into separate agreements with TxDOT.
Current Texas HERO Programs operate in metropolitan areas including Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, and San Antonio. According to Bentley, these programs benefit from funding by a variety of partners such as Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), counties, cities, and local TxDOT districts. The proposed HERO Program for the Odessa District would be the first non-metro HERO initiative in Texas.
The PSP board plans to discuss the HERO Program in September and will propose the funding to Ector County mid August. No action was taken on this agenda item during the meeting.