HERO Units

Overview

The HEROs (Highway Emergency Response Operators) are the key component of the Georgia Department of Transportation's Incident Management program. As GDOT strives to reduce congestion on the highways, HEROs will respond quickly to incidents and clear the roads so that the normal traffic flow can be restored.

Funding for the HERO program has been provided by Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CM / AQ) Fund under the guidance of the Atlanta Regional Commission's (ARC) Incident Management Taskforce. The Taskforce members include the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), GDOT, traffic reporters, emergency and first-response agencies and the private sector.

See our main HERO page for more information.

School Visits

The HERO School Visit Program continues to be a huge hit with metro Atlanta schools. Last year, the HEROs visited 119 schools and reached over 36,000 students. In the last three years, the HEROs have visited nearly 300 schools and reached over 100,000 students!

HEROs (Highway Emergency Response Operators) are most often requested for Career Day events. Students of all grade levels crowd around the bright yellow trucks, where they look at the flashing lights and tools of the trade, listen to stories of highway heroics, and learn about driver safety and emergency preparedness.

Visit our School Visits page to learn how to request a HERO for your school!