Laserfiche WebLink
-,. There are eleven companies on the sheriffs -rotation list with a <br />combined total of over thirty tow trucks. In addition, there are at <br />least ten other tow truck operators who are not on the rotation list. <br />Even though these ten operators are not on the rotation list, who is <br />to say they are not keeping their trucks in residential neighborhoods <br />as the present ordinance is all but impossible to enforce. (Picture) <br />That is a total of at least 40 tow trucks that can be operating in our <br />neighborhoods every day and night. <br />s. Lt. Kane stated that his best information is that there are between <br />65 to 70 rotation generated calls for tows per month in the county. <br />He did not state how many of those calls were during the normal <br />business day and how many at night. For the purposes of <br />demonstration lets assume that all these call -outs were after <br />business hours, during the evening hours. He went on to say that <br />as an officer of over thirty years experience, he thinks that not more <br />than twelve calls per month require emergency tow response. The <br />other fifty-eight calls per month are for non -emergency roadside <br />service or towing that have nothing to do with public safety. <br />c. Again assuming that every one of the 65 to 70 rotation generated <br />calls and the 12 emergency towings are all after business hours, <br />the facts are that there can be over thirty tow trucks on call every <br />night seven nights a week to remove three or less accidents a <br />week. To put this into real time terms, there are over 30 trucks per <br />night on emergency rotation to remove .43 emergency accidents; or <br />put another way, we have 30 trucks per night available to remove <br />one half a car per night, handy a reason to justify and defend the <br />current rotation policy. This number does not account for the <br />remaining ten companies who could also be called for emergency <br />"removal of accidents. <br />D. Factually and statistically speaking there are at least seven tow <br />truck operators on the rotation list that could, by themselves, handle <br />all the emergency removals on a year around bases. What has in fact <br />happened is the county has given their blessing to a thirty -truck <br />neighborhood free-for-all, when there is only a need for two to three <br />trucks on rotation per week in the worst case scenario. The fact is the <br />emergency accident rate in Indian River County requires two tow <br />trucks a week not thirty or more. <br />Solutions: <br />vii. Solution I: First: no tow trucks should be allowed into a <br />neighborhood during the regular business day unless making a call, <br />period! One tow truck company should be on emergency rotation <br />every week or month and allowed to keep a truck at home after <br />business hours. In the event the "on call" company cannot handle <br />the work load another company could be on standby. In this <br />manner only two trucks should ever be in a neighborhood on any <br />one night. <br />Solution II: Every tow truck operator that elects to be on any <br />governmental rotation list should be allowed to install a bed in his <br />business location, and respond to emergencies from that business <br />location. In this manner there is never a question of how many or <br />which companies should be in any neighborhoods at night and <br />enforcement would be greatly simplified. <br />Solution III: The owner of Mike's Garage who is on the rotation <br />list and operates eight tow trucks in Indian River County, suggested <br />that the county put out to bid the emergency towing operations <br />stipulating that the operator operate from his business location on a 24 <br />hour a day basis and take all the emergency calls. The bidding <br />process is standard operating procedure for government and gives <br />every operator a chance to bid. <br />Summary: The county has opened a Pandora's box with their present <br />policy which was based on little facts or data. One could argue that the <br />county has become partners with the tow truck operators as 85 per <br />cent of the calls are of a non -emergency road side service or fender - <br />bender nature. Eighty-five per cent of the business done by the towing <br />companies is of a non -emergency nature which does not require tow <br />trucks to be kept in residential neighborhoods. The county who has <br />created this monster is unable to enforce their policy, and unwilling to <br />challenge violations by towing companies for fear of law suits. When I <br />FEBRUARY 25, 1997 29 <br />BOOK 1.00 PAGE " <br />