March LEPC meeting includes rundown on Highway Patrol

March LEPC meeting includes rundown on Highway Patrol

Hamrick delivers info on state law enforcement agencies

news@theeveningtimes.com

Ever wonder why there are both State Troopers and Arkansas Highway Police?

What’s the difference?

Those attending the March installment of the Crittenden County Local Emergency Planning committee heard an explanation of the two state law enforcement agencies and more. AHP Sgt. James Hamrick served as guest speaker giving emergency planners and first responders details about hazardous materials being trucked through the area.

County Emergency Manager Bud Spears urged the group to plan drills at least twice a year and then introduced Hamrick to the small group at the Guaranty Loan Banquet Room in the Holiday Plaza Mall. Spears said Hamrick had been a friend since childhood and then Sergeant put the planners through their paces with hazmat placards.

Hamrick displayed various materials placards that tell responders what is in the truck. This information helps responders determine how to handle an accident.

He recommended a pocket guide.

Next, the Sergeant talked specially about fissile materials shipping through the area bound for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Taking mostly spent plutonium fuel rods, the nuke dump recently reopened after two year suspension of operations.

The Highway Police are equipped with Geiger counters which may be used on walk around inspections.

“They bury it there because it is cheaper,” said Hamrick. “It is 2,200 feet under ground in an old salt mine with less than two percent humidity. They bury steel drums in there.

When it gets full they actually bury every thing in salt, so they expect it not to rust or decay.”

Hamrick shifted gears and spoke about the origins of the Arkansas Highway Police, now part of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. The police were commissioned in 1929 to specifically protect the infrastructure of the state highway as they developed. Then as now overweight vehicles can wear out the roadway faster than they can be maintained and built. Ever since the AHP was probably best known for staffing the weigh stations. While Highway police do enforce traffic laws the department is specifically commissioned for truck safety inspections and uniquely equipped to regulate truck weight.

“We started off with twenty of us in 1929 and now there is about 100,” said Hamrick. “There still aren’t many of us. We generally focus on commercial vehicle traffic. We are the only ones that can enforce the safety side of it through commercial vehicle inspections and weight laws. Any agency can, but we have the scales.”

Portable scales pop up along the country side especially during harvest season. The weight limit on Interstate trucks is 80,000 pounds and other highways 85,000 pounds.

“There’s a lot of exemptions for farmers, because the state realizes farming is a big part of our state economy,” said Hamrick. “So there are increased weight limits for farmers. Farmers are loading in a field and don’t know for sure how heavy the truck is until they are on the road. With technology today they can get it pretty close with air pressure

readings. They have

more exemptions on the state maintained roads (than Interstates).”

Hamrick explained the reason for the different weight limits on the different kinds of roads.

“The difference is the state pays primarily for the state highways and the Interstates are done mostly with federal funds,” said Hamrick. So 80,000 pounds is an absolute limit on the Interstate.”

While the AHP may be focused on the big rigs, it is still not a good idea to pass one in your passenger vehicle doing 80 in the left hand lane. They have blue lights and a ticket book for that, too.

The meeting offered not only food for the brain but food for the belly, with a delicious luncheon sponsored by the United States Services capped the session.

By John Rech