JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Anyone who's ever had a flat tire, run out of gas, been involved in accident or gotten stuck and stranded knows it can be scary and dangerous.
But First Coast Road Rangers are available -- free of charge -- to help people get to safety.
News4Jax rode along with local Road Rangers for a day to see exactly how the program works and what these "highway rescuers" do.
"Oh gosh. Laundry list, it's long. From A to Z. Car crashes, disabled vehicles, flat tire, out of gas, broken motor, what have you," said Andrew Henry, a First Coast Road Ranger operator.
Essentially, he and other operators are here to help. All people have to do is dial *347 on their cellphone.
"Every situation is very different out here. Every day is very different out here," Henry said.
Sometimes, people don't even have to ask for help. If Henry or any of the other seven Road Rangers in the area see someone stranded, they stop.
"We blew a tire," said motorist Lance Thompson, who got a little help from Road Rangers while News4Jax was there.
Thompson is from Ohio, and his trailer was partially blocking an exit ramp. Henry rolled up and began helping to allow Thompson to drive the camper off the highway into a nearby parking lot to take care of the tire.
"Good luck to you folks! Try to have a good day," Henry told Thompson.
Back in the Road Ranger vehicle, Henry found another man pulled over, because he had run out of gas.
"We're going to try and throw a gallon in and see if we can get him to the next exit," said Henry.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, since the Road Rangers program began in 2000, 4.3 million people have been helped on Florida highways.
Locally, the First Coast Road Rangers assist Duval County along I-95, I-10, I-295 and J. Turner Butler Boulevard. They can also be called in by agencies to assist in other counties, too.
In the Jacksonville area, the program costs about $1.3 million paid for by the Florida Department of Transportation, the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and a sponsorship by Jax Legal.
The program was almost cut a few years ago, but David Fierro, with FDOT, said it's instrumental.
"We spend hundreds of millions of dollars on projects, but frankly, the money we spend on this program that helps people on the side of the road, it's one of the most valuable things we can do as an agency," Fierro said.
"Jaxlegal.com has sponsored the Northeast Florida Road Rangers for the last four years," attorney Marc Hardesty said. "There are many ways to get involved to help our community, and the Jaxlegal Road Rangers have helped thousands of motorists in a real time of need. There are few places where a person feels as alone when they are broken down on the side of the road. There is no doubt that this service has saved lives and has greatly improved the safety of our roadways."
While with the Road Rangers, News4Jax drove up to a crash in the middle of the highway involving a car and an 18-wheeler. But getting up to it wasn't easy because of the backed up traffic.
"We get a firsthand look at when there's an incident in the highway. Everything comes to a halt. So the Road Rangers, their main mission is to get that incident cleared, working with law enforcement, when necessary, to get the incident cleared as soon as possible so the traffic can flow again," Fierro said.
Although chaotic, the situation was cleared within 20 minutes, and luckily, no one was seriously hurt. Sometimes, the difficult challenge is getting drivers to obey what authorities need them to do.
"When you first come on the scene, yes, because they are sort of stupefied," Henry said. "They don't know what's going on. Until I basically tell them via the sign board or putting out the cones, that this lane is shut down now, then they'll start getting the idea - they say 'hey, maybe I do need to get over.'"
Things don't always run smoothly and safely. Two Road Rangers have been hit by people not paying attention. First Coast Road Rangers Manager Cody Parham said operators and first responders put themselves in danger every day to help others, so the least drivers can do is move over.
"It's common courtesy, that's a lot of it," Parham said. "I understand sometimes you can't. There's also the Move Over law. If you cannot move over, you're required to slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit. So there's always times you can't move over, and we all understand that, but at least slow down!"
According to FDOT, from October 2015 to December 2015, Road Rangers responded to more than 86,0000 incidents. Sixty-five percent were disabled vehicles, 12 percent involved debris cleanup and about 11 percent were crashes.
The "other" category listed is utilized for events such as those involving vehicle fires, weather-related events or a pedestrian on the interstate. Those items do not fit in the four major event categories determined by FDOT.
FDOT also tracks dispatch by day of the week. Thursday is the busiest day of the week for Road Rangers, with Sunday being the least busy. It's important to note the day of the week can be affected by hours of operation per individual district. First Coast Road Rangers operate Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., while other districts in the state may operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week. (Hours listed on page six of FDOT document on Road Ranger performance.)
While this program is not to replace other traditional assistance programs that drivers may have, Hardesty said the program helps many people every day while in service and reminds drivers it is absolutely free.
"We have received hundreds of thank you letters, emails and phone calls, and that just confirms to us that our efforts are worthwhile," he said. "In fact, we have had multiple clients over the years that have been helped by the Road Rangers. The most rewarding compliment we hear is, 'You guys helped me with my case and you came to help me now when I was on the side of the road. Thank you. Thank you!'"