MileCheckHow do fire crews find a crash by mile marker?
Dispatch passes on the highway, the direction and the mile marker. The crew picks the interchange that puts them on the right side, then counts the green signs to the scene.
Where the mile marker comes from
From the caller, from a passing driver, from a trooper on scene, or from the 911 center's map, which places the caller's phone location next to the nearest marker. See how dispatchers find the mile marker for a caller's location.
Why direction matters
Both sides of a divided highway carry the same number. A crash at mile 47 eastbound is across the median from mile 47 westbound. Coming up the wrong side means driving to the next interchange and back.
Approaching the scene
How a crew approaches and parks depends on the incident and on its own procedures. The mile marker gets it to the right stretch of road.
See your mile marker as you drive
MileCheck shows your nearest mile marker, the highway and your direction. Premium adds live state DOT feeds for the road ahead and the map, with a 2-week free trial. It runs on CarPlay and Android Auto.
Questions, answered
What if callers give different mile markers?
Dispatchers and crews use all the location information they have to narrow down the scene.
Do all departments use mile markers?
On limited-access highways, nearly all do. On city streets they use addresses and cross streets.