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When most people hear the term “everyday heroes,” they immediately think of police officers or fire fighters, and rightly so. But anyone who has been stranded on the side of Interstate 4 might insist on adding another name to that list: Road Rangers.
As their name implies, these largely unsung heroes range up and down I-4 ready to assist stranded vehicles, help clear accident scenes or respond to any other highway incidents they might find. Road Rangers average about 75 stops per day, and most commonly help drivers contend with problems including flat tires, overheated engines, empty gas tanks, and even the occasional highway domestic dispute. They are also instrumental in helping clear roadways after accidents and maintaining safety for responders and all those involved.
Road Rangers act as the human extension of I-4's traffic cameras and as a critical tool for the Regional Traffic Management Center (RTMC) to solve problems for I-4 drivers. The RTMC uses 77 I-4 cameras, from the Osceola/Polk County line near Disney to I-95 in Daytona Beach, to search for disabled vehicles.
When an I-4 camera spots a disabled vehicle on the interstate, a Road Ranger can be dispatched immediately to the scene. Driving well-marked trucks, uniformed Road Rangers are equipped with first aid kits, cell phones, two-ton jacks, auto fluids, and an air compressor.
For those who have been helped by Road Rangers, the term “hero” seems to be the only term that fits.
Given all that Road Rangers do, it’s no wonder so many people call or write in to let them know how appreciated they are. The exact volume of letters is difficult to calculate, since feedback is collected from several different sources, but drivers who have been helped by a Road Ranger regularly want to thank them for saving their time, and sometimes their lives.
Here are a few examples:
“Although there was nothing that could be done for my car, Joe patiently waited it out with us until a ride came for me and my friend. I am currently undergoing chemotherapy and the sun is the last thing I need to be exposed to for any length of time. Joe settled us inside his truck, patiently waited with us and when I parted I felt as though I had made a new friend.”
“My tire hit a piece of concrete and made a huge hole in my tire. I wish I knew who dropped this massive piece of stone to pay for my cost of a new tire... but in any case, your service came as an angel to me.”
Motorists stranded along I-4 who have a cell phone can call *FHP (*347) to have a Road Ranger dispatched to their location. Providing complete and detailed information to the operator helps ensure the ranger can find the stranded motorist as quickly as possible. That information includes:
- type and color of the vehicle
- direction of travel on I-4 (eastbound or westbound
- the nearest exit or mile marker and
- on which side of the road the vehicle is parked
Road Rangers service along I-4 is made possible in part, through sponsorship by the Orlando Metopolitan Planning Organization and State Farm. Road Ranger service hours on I-4 are:
- Monday thru Friday, 6:00 a.m. to midnight
- Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.
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