Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 29 - Public Safety and State Police › 23a - Operation of a Rotational System For Summoning Wreckers › Section 29-23a-9 - Responsibilities of wrecker operators

Current through July 10, 2024
(a) All wrecker
			 operators shall meet the response times set forth in Section
			 29-23a-5.
			 The wrecker operator receiving the call for service shall perform the required
			 service. The call for service may not be delegated to another wrecker
			 operator.
(b) Wrecker operators
			 shall promptly and efficiently remove from the roadway designated vehicles,
			 associated debris and spills of fluids used in vehicle operations, such as
			 gasoline, oil or antifreeze. Vehicles shall be removed to the wrecker
			 operator's place of business, an alternate storage location approved by the
			 Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, a location requested by the vehicle owner or
			 operator, or a facility under state police control in furtherance of a criminal
			 investigation. Debris shall be removed to the wrecker operator's place of
			 business, unless directed otherwise by state police, or employees of the
			 Connecticut Departments of Environmental Protection or
			 Transportation.
(c) The wrecker
			 operator shall follow the directives of the trooper or fire officer at the
			 scene and obtain the approval of the trooper at the scene prior to departing
			 from the scene of the call for service. The trooper at the scene shall confirm
			 that the roadway has been substantially cleared of all debris prior to
			 releasing the wrecker operator from the scene.
(d) The wrecker operator shall be responsible
			 for safe removal of the vehicle, its contents and occupants, except where an
			 occupant cannot be legally transported, an arrest has been made or where other
			 arrangements have been made for transportation of occupants. Where the wrecker
			 operator cannot transport all vehicle occupants because of occupancy
			 limitations in the wrecker, the trooper at the scene may assist in providing
			 transportation. Where the trooper at the scene cannot assist in providing
			 transportation, the state police troop supervisor on duty or his or her
			 designee shall make such arrangements as are necessary to safely remove vehicle
			 occupants from the roadway. In order to minimize the likelihood that the
			 wrecker operator cannot transport vehicle occupants because of occupancy
			 limitations, the wrecker operator shall not respond with passengers to a call
			 for service.
(e) The wrecker
			 operator shall provide the troop with a telephone number allowing contact on a
			 24-hour, seven-day-per-week basis. No more than one such number each for normal
			 duty hours and other than normal duty hours shall be accepted by the
			 troop.
(f) A wrecker operator shall
			 notify the appropriate troop before responding to a request for service not
			 transmitted by state police, if such call causes the wrecker operator to
			 perform the service on a road under state police jurisdiction.
(g) A wrecker operator shall notify the troop
			 whenever a vehicle is removed from the highway pursuant to a rotational call
			 for service, if there is no trooper at the scene at the time the vehicle is to
			 be removed from the highway.
(h) In
			 addition to the equipment required by section
			 14-66
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a light-duty service wrecker operator
			 responding to a scene shall be equipped with communications equipment, such as
			 a two-way radio or wireless telephone, a second rear spot light, three triangle
			 reflectors and shovels, brooms and any other equipment necessary to clear the
			 roadway of debris.
(i) In addition
			 to the equipment required by section
			 14-66
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a heavy-duty service wrecker operator
			 responding to a call for service shall be equipped with communications
			 equipment, such as a two-way radio or wireless telephone, a second rear spot
			 light, a total of 10 flares, 10 triangle reflectors, two shovels (one round,
			 one square), one heavy-duty push broom, two pry bars, one bolt cutter, 10 large
			 T-bolts and shut off fittings for buses. Heavy-duty service wrecker operators
			 shall also be capable of providing air to the towed vehicle to facilitate brake
			 system operation.
(j) In addition
			 to the equipment required by section
			 14-66
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a heavy-duty-recovery service wrecker
			 operator shall have available communications equipment, such as a two-way radio
			 or wireless telephone, and 12 support items or services as follows:
(1) air cushions;
(2) rotator/crane;
(3) low-bed trailer;
(4) box trailer (with dock plate or pallet
			 jack);
(5) forklift or
			 bobcat;
(6) payloader or
			 backhoe;
(7) service truck
			 (complete with air compressor, generator and auxiliary tools);
(8) generator and portable lighting
			 system;
(9) dump truck or roll-off
			 container dumpster;
(10)
			 tractor;
(11) dolly converter;
			 and
(12) four laborers.