Crash Responder Safety Week: Move Over, slow down when you see flashing lights

You might associate Crash Responder Safety Week more with our colleagues at the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Transportation. But it’s special to ADHS as well because of our role in supporting Arizona’s emergency medical services and trauma system.

From 2019 to 2021, there were more than 100,000 traffic-related crashes involving injury or death in Arizona. With Governor Doug Ducey declaring Nov. 14-18 Crash Responder Safety Week in Arizona, ADHS joins agencies across the country urging motorists to slow down or move over every time they see flashing lights ahead. It’s not just the safe thing to do; it’s the law in Arizona, whether you’re on a freeway, local street, or any other public roadway.

Crash Responder Safety Week also promotes quickly clearing minor crashes on divided highways to reduce the chances of secondary crashes and to help protect first responders. It’s also the law: If a crash doesn’t involve severe injuries, drivers must move motor vehicles from travel lanes to a spot that’s safer for all.

We’re proud to support the dedicated professionals in Arizona’s emergency medical services and trauma system by sharing these important safety messages during Crash Responder Safety Week. We’re also promoting a free Traffic Incident Management (TIM) course available to first responders and information available to everyone on the AZ TIM website.

Arizona’s first responders are there for you when crashes occur. This week, please consider how you can be there for them.

By Rachel Garcia|2022-11-16T11:13:50-07:00November 16th, 2022|Preparedness|Comments Off

About the Author: Rachel Garcia

Rachel Garcia, MPH, MCHES is the Deputy Assistant Director of Preparedness, Chief of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and Trauma, and Principal Investigator for the CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Program at the Arizona Department of Health Services. Rachel is an Arizona native and humble public servant who has served in various public health leadership roles in state and local government for more than 15 years. In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing several programs including the ADHS Bureau of EMS and Trauma System, which coordinates, establishes, and administers Arizona’s statewide system of emergency medical services, trauma care, and registry systems. She previously served as the Deputy Chief of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response and has assisted with multiple Health Emergency Operations Center responses at ADHS. Before joining the ADHS team, she was an Assistant Director of Public Health in Pinal county, where she oversaw Community and Correctional Health programs. She also served in multiple public health research and community outreach positions at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she earned her Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science degrees and completed Susan G. Komen and National Science Foundation fellowships. Rachel is a proud wife and mother of three, who is passionate about education and data-driven public health policies that can improve health for the next generations of Arizonans.