(WJET/WFXP)– The Erie County Department of Public Safety is extending their thanks to first responders from around the area after Thursday’s bout of winter weather made for an extremely busy day, with over 1,600 radio transmissions for Interstate 90 alone.

Over the course of five hours, the Department of Public Safety said there were 3,117 radio transmissions between first responders and dispatchers for Erie County from 1 pm to 6 pm, most of which were on Interstate 90 tac channels.

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Compare that to Wednesday’s transmission count during the same time frame and the total amount of transmissions, 281 transmissions, doesn’t even meet those from South Dispatch alone.

First responders told JET24 FOX 66’s Jozef Korzenieski that the pile-up on Interstate 90 on Thursday started with one crash and led to a chain reaction of at least four more crashes, causing several injuries and the highway’s westbound lane being shut down for several hours.

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“After the events yesterday afternoon, we’re thankful for many things. Most of all, we’re thankful for our staff who banded together to answer phones, answer radios, and coordinate resources. For our colleagues at Emergycare, PA State Police, and other county dispatch centers. And for our responders, who answered the calls and got the jobs done in the freezing cold and blinding snow,” Erie County Public Safety said in a social media post.

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