Email Enquiry - Emergency Vehicle Driving Standards
Initial Email Enquiry – All the following stories came from the web site www.firefighterclosecalls.com and serves to highlight the need for emergency responders to be given training to ensure they are fully prepared to navigate safely from the fire station to the incident scene SAFELY. I am horrified that within the National Occupational Standards (IPDS Operations in the Community Unit FF9 ) and the recent draft cluster award criteria that specific specialised training to drive an Emergency Fire Apparatus is deemed to be 'OPTIONAL' !! There is a competence which MUST in my veiw be gained before allowing our personnel to drive emergency response vehicles at speed to operational incidents. It is irresponsible to think otherwise. LONG ISLAND EMS CRASH KILLS TWO EMS MEMBERS LONG ISLAND NEWSDAY STAFF WRITERS
Two volunteer emergency medical technicians rushing a man with apparent heart problems to a Riverhead hospital Tuesday were killed when the ambulance driver lost control in Aquebogue and slammed into a tree, police said. The accident took the life of a 23-year-old single mother whose young son suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy. "It's horrible," the victim's mother on said Tuesday. The second victim, a 30-year-old paramedic, was not immediately identified. "It's terrible. It's disheartening. It's very scary," said the chairman of the Suffolk Regional EMS Council. "The reality is that it can happen to us. I'm sure there will be a massive turnout at the funerals." Two other people in the ambulance, the driver and patient, were taken to local hospitals, where they were in stable condition, officials said. They were not identified. Officials said the driver is 29, the patient 67. The accident occurred at 1:30 p.m. as the Riverhead volunteer ambulance swerved to avoid a truck on County Road 25 near Church Lane. The technicians had just responded to a home nearby where they had picked up the patient and were headed west on Route 25 to Central Suffolk Hospital. The crash ripped off the passenger side of the white and blue-striped ambulance and scattered medical equipment, masks, tubing, boxes and metal charts across the roadway. Afterward, police closed off a half-mile stretch of the county road as investigators began combing through the wreckage for survivors. They remained at the scene into the early evening hours. It was not clear Tuesday where the victims had been sitting inside the ambulance when it struck the tree. "It often happens that the patient comes out the best in this situation because they're always buckled in and you're in the back working with them, giving them oxygen," chairman of the Suffolk Regional EMS Council said. "You try to stay buckled in, but sometimes you have to get out of your seat and that puts you in jeopardy." Two men working at a gas station to the west of the accident said they did not see it happen, although one man said he heard the siren as the amulance went east on its last run to respond to an emergency. One of the men said that portion of the road was notoriously dangerous for motorists. "It's just a bad hill. There's a curve in the road," he said. A spokeswoman at Central Suffolk Hospital confirmed Behr's death and said that two others from the ambulance had been taken there, but did not give any more information. The fourth victim was taken by helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital, officials said. One of the volunteer victim's whose father is a longtime Riverhead firefighter, graduated from Riverhead High School in 2000. She had celebrated her 23rd birthday on Saturday, her mother said. She loved working as an EMT, even with its grueling 13-hour shifts, her mother said. She had worked with the Riverhead volunteer ambulance company for three years and served as a lieutenant of one of the squads. Three weeks ago, she had gotten a job with Hunter Ambulance. Because her job was so demanding, the victim lived with her parents so that her parents or her sister could be home to watch her son. "She was a brown belt in karate. She enjoyed her son. He's going to be 14 months old next week. He has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He's in a lot of therapy right now," the victim's sister said. The family expects to make funeral arrangements Thursday with the McLaughlin Funeral Home in Riverhead. The chairman of the Suffolk Regional EMS Council said that EMS drivers go through driver safety courses, and are instructed not to travel at high speeds. "We're trying to help people in dire situations but studies show that speed rarely saves more than a few seconds." "When you have a person in the back of ambulance having a heart attack, or you're trying to prevent them from having a heart attack, the adrenaline flows, but in those situations you've got to drive with even more caution." CALIFORNIA FIRE ENGINE CRASHES ON BRIDGE - FF'S INJURED San Jose Mercury News Distributed by the Associated Press 4-28-05 A fire engine spun out of control this morning on the Hayward-San Mateo Bridge, blocking all eastbound lanes and one westbound lanes and tying up traffic for at least the morning commute.The collision occurred at about 6 a.m. on the east side of the incline as the Hayward Fire Department was heading to the scene of an injury accident on Highway 92. The force of the collision shoved a 10- to 12-foot section of concrete center divider into the fast lane of the westbound direction. The fire engine spun until it came to rest across all three lanes of eastbound traffic. Eastbound traffic was diverted at Foster City Boulevard, while westbound traffic used the remaining two lanes.In addition, according to the California Highway Patrol, three firefighters were sent to Eden Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. Construction crews were dispatched to the scene to make emergency repairs to the bridge. The fast lanes will be closed in both directions throughout the afternoon during cleanup and repair operations. FIRE TRUCK WITH NO DRIVER CRASHES INTO YORK COUNTY (PA) HOME April 19, 2005 MANCHESTER TWP., YORK COUNTY CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTER HURT IN APPARATUS ACCIDENT April 10, 2005 Two firefighters were inside the Fresno County truck when a small compact car pulled out in front of them. The driver of the fire truck swerved to avoid the small car with a 19-year-old man and a baby inside. "Had that not happened, two people probably would have died," said officer, from the California Highway Patrol. The fire truck lost control and flipped and caught fire. An eyewitness, who lives nearby where the accident occurred, explained what he saw, "One firefighter was laying on the ground. The other saying you're going to be all right." But, the driver of the small car tried to flee on foot with the child. He had no identification. Meanwhile, neighbors were alarmed to see firefighters hurt and an engine destroyed. But, they said they are used to car wrecks at the rural intersection. Names of the firefighters involved have not been released, but one of them was hospitalized with moderate injuries. The driver and baby passenger of the other car involved were not hurt, but the 19-year-old was arrested for suspicion of felony hit and run. Firefighter Heroes Investigators say the accident could easily have been deadly. They're crediting the quick thinking of the firefighter driving the engine, saying he did the right thing. CDF battalion chief says it was a tough call for many emergency personnel to respond to. "Nobody likes to hear officer or firefighter down," he said. Luckily, the firefighters involved only had moderate injuries, but it's their actions that many are praising. California Highway Patrol officer says in the ten years he's worked in Fresno County, he can't recall the last time a fire truck involved accident. "Very large rigs, very heavy. The fact they were able to do what they did and save a baby's life, kudos to them," says the California Highway Patrol officer. The accident is a financial set back. The fire truck involved is one of the newer engines, worth $250,000 and considered a total loss. The truck was carrying 700 gallons of water and weighs about 17 tons. The CDF battalion chief says likely a reserve truck will now be used, and that service will not be affected by the loss of the engine. OHIO APPARATUS CRASHES WHILE RESPONDING TO SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT April 8, 2005 - Story by www.nbc4i.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio 10 PEOPLE INJURED-DC FIRE APPARATUS INCIDENT Posted: April 03, 2005 10:01 PM EST at: www.wjla.com Washington, DC (AP) ILLINOIS FIRE TRUCK LOSES HOSE ON THE WAY TO CRASH
DeKALB-4-1-05 APPARATUS INVOLVED IN HEAD ON COLLISION IN TEXAS FIREFIGHTER PETE MERRIN Via FH.Com 4-1-05 On Sunday, March 6, 2005, five members of the Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department were returning from a successful fundraiser for one of their own. At approximately 5:55 p.m. the situation changed from excitement to mayhem when an oncoming car veered into their lane and struck them head on. According to the investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Department, Rescue 19, a 2002 American La France rescue pumper, became airborne as a result of the collision and landed on it’s starboard side wheels and then bounced upright. Unknown to the chauffer, the front left wheel assembly was folded under and the truck was uncontrollable. According to the HCSO report, Rescue 19 traveled approximately 450 feet through the oncoming lanes before coming to rest against a driveway/culvert. District Chief 19, who was riding in the Captain’s seat, ordered an evacuation of the apparatus and contacted dispatch to advise them of the incident and request help. After they completed an evaluation of themselves, they proceeded to the other vehicle where they evaluated the occupants and began stabilization efforts on both occupants as well as extrication efforts on the driver who was trapped in the vehicle. After this evaluation, the Hermann Hospital’s Life Flight Helicopter was requested for transport of the other vehicle’s driver. Within minutes, Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department Engines 29 and 19 and Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department ambulances 19, 29, and 39 arrived on scene. Additional mutual aid ambulances from Humble Fire Department arrived and Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department personnel including District Chief 29 and the Department Chief arrived on scene via personal vehicle. All five Rescue 19 personnel were transported via ground ambulance to area hospitals where they were evaluated, treated accordingly and later released. The driver of the other vehicle was transported to Hermann Hospital’s level one trauma center via Life Flight Helicopter. Unfortunately, the driver of the other vehicle died as a result of her injuries. The passenger, who was transported to a nearby hospital was evaluated and treated for his injuries and later released. The accident is still under investigation by HCSO.
CAR STRIKES, OVERTURNS FIRE-RESCUE VECHICLE IN FORT LAUDERDALE Fort Lauderdale TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA TANKER INVOLVED IN ROLLOVER ACCIDENT, DRIVER TRAPPED On the afternoon of March 24, 2005, Tallahassee Fire Department Rescue 13 and Tanker 13 were responding on a report of a large brush fire in southern Leon County outside of Tallahassee, Florida. Reports said that as Rescue 13 was approaching the scene and stopping, the tanker following became distracted, closing down on the rescue and almost rear ending the truck. The 21-year veteran driver turned sharp to avoid hitting the rescue and entered the opposite lane. A vehicle was approaching from the other side. The tanker then turned sharp to avoid hitting the car but clipped the rear end and sent the 2500 gallons of water into a roll. The tanker then rolled ending up on its wheels and throwing all of its equipment on the road and trapping the driver. Rescue 13 Lt. put a call out for assistance and Engine 3, Truck3, Engine 1, Division 1 and Leon County EMS responded. The driver was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center and was released later with bumps and bruises. The accident is still under investigation. The occupants of the other vehicle were uninjured. Tanker 13 was one of five 1999 E-ONE commercial chassis International 2500 gallon tankers.
N.C. FIRE ENGINE TOTALED IN CRASH By Eric J.S. Townsend Staff Writer GIBSONVILLE IOWA FIRE APPARATUS COLLISION LEAVES 4 INJURED QuadCity Times - 3-22-05 A collision between a 13-ton Davenport firetruck and a car late Sunday heavily damaged both vehicles, sent three firefighters to hospital and severely injured the car’s driver, police and fire officials said Monday. The driver of the car, turned her silver Saturn into the path of the firetruck from the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant, 3102 W. Locust St., Davenport police Lt. said.The firetruck, which had its lights and sirens on while traveling west on Locust to an emergency call, swerved to avoid the crash but struck the Saturn on its front left side, he said. The pumper truck, which was carrying three firefighters and had a full load of 500 gallons of water, slid sideways, struck a utility pole on the south side of Locust and came to a rest on its side, Gano and Davenport Fire Chief said.The collision sent the Saturn into a four-door Kia that had been stopped in the righthand westbound lane, yielding for the pumper truck and another firetruck also traveling down Locust, Gano and Frese said. A firefighter who was not driving was not wearing a seat belt and went through the windshield of the pumper truck. The car driver and the three firefighters, including pumper truck driver were taken to Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street Campus, Davenport. The two car drivers suffered critical injuries. On Monday night, a nursing supervisor at Genesis East said she was in serious condition. The three firefighters were treated at the hospital and released. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2005 DAILY BULLETIN STAFF WRITERS ONTARIO
The Upland Fire Department Engineer who was driving the firetruck, was ejected and suffered major chest and head injuries, according to California Highway Patrol officers at the scene. With the eastbound 10 at Fourth Street closed down, The driver of the fire engine was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery. He remained in critical condition late Tuesday. Paramedics turned the freeway's eastbound lanes into a triage center for the 55 mostly elderly bus passengers, many of who sustained mild to moderate injuries. "They were just frantic," said a California Highway Patrol officer, the first officer to enter the damaged bus. A bus passenger said he was nodding off when the collision happened. "I was thrown," he said. The passenger's left wrist was swollen and he suffered several minor cuts. The two other firefighters on the engine sustained minor injuries. The vehicles collided at about 7:30 a.m. as the Upland fire crew was responding to an earlier accident on the westbound carpool lane of the 10 Freeway. The fire engine driver, who was headed eastbound on the 10, had planned to park his engine next to the freeway median to gain access to the westbound side and was gradually merging left into the carpool lane, the CHP Officer said. The tour bus was traveling eastbound in the carpool lane when it collided with the left rear of the engine, causing the engine to rotate counter-clockwise. The right front of the bus struck the driver's side of the engine, the engine then veered right, crossing all lanes of the freeway, coming to rest on the right shoulder just west of Fourth Street. The tour bus came to a stop in the carpool lane. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. Firefighters were forced to cut through crushed metal to free the panicked bus passengers. Twenty-six people, including the three Upland firefighters, were taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for treatment. Of the 26, 19 had minor injuries. Others' injuries ranged from moderate to critical. By 4:30 p.m., all but the fire engine driver and a Chinese tourist, also listed in critical condition, had been released from the hospital. "The driver of fire engine family doesn't want the details of his condition released but I can say he sustained injuries to his chest, face and head," said the hospital's medical director. The fire engine driver's brother said on Tuesday afternoon that his brother was still in intensive care and that the family was waiting. "He's very critical right now," he said by cell phone Tuesday from Arrowhead Regional. He also said his brother has a wife and two young daughters, and has been with the Upland Fire Department for 18 years. "He comes froma background of firefighters," his brother said. "My dad was a firefighter, I'm a firefighter in Pasadena and my brother is a firefighter in Phoenix." He said the family, from New York, moved to Rancho Cucamonga in 1975. "We were just interested in this from the start," he said about the brothers becoming firefighters. "It's our personalities. We're all athletic and have this interest in helping other people." The brother said his brother is known as the handyman in the family. "He's always over at my house fixing things," he said, who is a firefighter/paramedic at Pasadena. The hospital's medical director said the hospital was put under a code orange alert as a result of the collision. About 150 hospital personnel were called in, including physicians, nurses and support staff. Most of them were sent back home because of the low volume of patients and injuries. "Those who stayed to help were individuals able to speak Cantonese and Mandarin languages," the medical director said. Loma Linda University Medical Center treated about 25 passengers, with one admitted in unknown condition, according to hospital sources. Five were treated at San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland, with one admitted in fair condition. Doctors Hospital in Montclair treated and released one patient. The bus, operated by H&C Paradise Tours Inc. of Los Angeles, was heading to the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, the company attorney said. The 55 passengers, who were of Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean descent, were residents of the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles, he said. The passengers were mostly middle-aged and elderly. The tour company has been in business since 1997, he said. "We've never had a serious accident." For the collision to be so serious, the fire engine must have swerved sharply into the bus, the attorney said. However, Upland interim fire chief, while not commenting on the specifics of the accident, said engineers and other fire personnel are trained to the highest safety standards. The firetruck had its emergency lights on when the accident occurred, according to the CHP report. The 10 Freeway's eastbound lanes remained shut down for about eight hours. ONE KILLED WHEN CASINO BUS HITS FIRE TRUCK HITS FIRE TRUCK ON FREEWAY - FIREFIGHTER CRITICALLY INJURED ONTARIO, Calif PHILADELPHIA FIRE TRUCK COLLIDES WITH PICKUP: 3 HURT From KYW-Friday March 11, 2005 TOLEDO FIREFIGHTERS HURT IN FIRE TRUCK CRASH ON WAY TO FIRE Toledo, OH - March 11, 2005, 12:01 AM EST TULSA OK FIRETRUCK FLIPS ON ITS SIDE, INJURING A FIREFIGHTER 3-3-05-Tulsa HEAD-ON COLLISION KILLS WOMAN, INJURES 5 TEXAS FIREFIGHTERS Houston - March 7, 2005 Authorities said the driver of a car crashed head-on into an Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department truck on Will Clayton Parkway and Atascocita Road at about 6 p.m. Sunday. Officials have not said who was at fault or what caused the accident. The Jaws of Life was called to the scene to remove the car's female driver from the vehicle. LifeFlight transported the woman to Memorial Hermann Hospital, but she did not survive. A passenger inside the car was taken to a nearby hospital. Five firefighters were treated for minor injuries. Officials said the firefighters were en route to their station after attending a fund-raising event. The accident remains under investigation. WEST VIRGINIA APPARATUS VS POLICE CAR A South Charleston, WV police cruiser and fire truck collided on the way to a fire. The cruiser was crushed and the truck flipped onto its side, injuring three firefighters and one police officer. All were treated and released Sunday....see story below.
WEST SIDE, SOUTH CHARLESTON FIRE KILLS 3 CHILDREN FIRETRUCK, POLICE CRUISER CRASH ON WAY TO SC BLAZE Charleston Gazette 2-21-05 Later that morning, a 17-month-old boy died in a South Charleston fire. The fire started around 11:45 a.m. in an apartment at 4825 Pennsylvania Ave. near Thomas Memorial Hospital. The boy was found in his crib, said Capt. of the South Charleston Fire Department. "Our older boy said it was like a volcano in the baby’s room," said the mother of the dead baby told WCHS-TV. The rest of the dead child's family escaped the fire. It likely started in the couple’s first-floor apartment, the Fire Capt said. After the fire was extinguished, the mother looked through broken-out windows of her charred apartment, and wondered out loud if any pictures of her dead son survived the blaze. At least four residents had to be rescued by ladder from second- and third-story apartments because the smoke made it impossible to use the hallways, the Fire Chief said. A South Charleston police cruiser and firetruck collided on the way to the fire. The cruiser was crushed and the truck flipped onto its side, injuring three firefighters and one police officer. All were treated and released Sunday, the Fire Chief said. The cause of each blaze remains under investigation, but neither appears related to methamphetamine labs, police said. The Charleston fire started shortly after midnight at 1227 Rosalie Drive on the hill above Bigley Avenue. The father of the 2 dead children and his older son escaped, and then he tried to run back into the house. Heavy black smoke and falling debris prevented him from getting inside. His two children were sleeping in a front bedroom, in the part of the house most destroyed by the fire. "He was screaming, 'My children are in the house'’" said a neighbor. Two other neighbors broke out windows and tried to shine a spotlight into the house, but they could see nothing because of the thick, black smoke. Neighbors said the victim's father moved into the rental house six months ago. He was raising his children by himself and studies music at West Virginia State University. His children attended school at Watts Elementary and a local Head Start center."Those were the sweetest kids," s neighbor said. "Absolutely beautiful." The house was owned by a Charleston landlord, who said he owns 32 other properties, including a house next door whose siding melted from the fire. Several neighbors complained that the landlord failed to properly maintain his properties, but the landlord said he was a good landlord. "Anytime any the tenants complain, I try to deal with it right away" he said. LAWSUIT IN FIRETRUCK DEATH NY POST 2-17-05 Firefighters and cops first reported that the firetruck was going through a green light when it struck the SUV at Intervale Avenue and East 163rd Street on July 10, 2004, killing the 25-year-old, according to the attorney for the dead man's family. Officials later changed their tune — and issued a new report — when a surveillance video from a nearby store revealed the fire engine ran a red light, the lawyer said. He accuses them in the lawsuit of engaging in a "coverup to conceal their false, misleading and unlawful conduct with respect to the initial report and the manner in which the Fire Department vehicle was operated relative to traffic signals at the subject intersection." Fire engines can go through red lights during an emergency, but they must proceed with caution. "These guys, they plowed right through that intersection without stopping at all," the laywer said. The truck, from Engine Co. 94, had its lights flashing and siren blaring as it raced to an all-hands fire at 751 E. 161st St. and Tinton Avenue — and smashed the 2000 Dodge Durango. The victim was sitting in the third row of the SUV. The lawsuit was filed in Bronx Supreme Court by Mendez's mother. The driver of the fire engine and the officer who was in charge of the truck and who was seated next to the driver at the time of the crash have been brought up on administrative charges, a knowledgeable source said. But the departmental hearing is still pending, the source said. PHILADELPHIA PA APPARATUS CRASH UPDATE: Philadelphia apparatus crash earlier this week update: one Fire Fighter is still in hospital and the driver of the apparatus was released. This "close call" again clearly demonstrated the need for members to wear their seat belts. Only two members were on the apparatus at the time of the accident. The crash happened as the airport apparatus was making a U-turn in an area reserved for emergency vehicles. The apparatus was hit broadside about 0230 and the tractor-trailer caught fire, but the civilian driver was not seriously injured. Of the two firefighters, one was was ejected through the windshield.
MO. FIREFIGHTER INJURED IN FIRE TRUCK ACCIDENT
A Sullivan firefighter was treated for minor injuries Monday night, Feb. 7, after the fire truck he was riding in left a Franklin County roadway and struck a tree. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, the accident occurred on Highway 185 South, one mile south of Mera-mec State Park, at 7:30 p.m. The fire truck driver was operating a 1999 Pierce Saber fire truck, northbound, when the right tires of the truck left the right side of the roadway. The driver was unable to correct the vehicle and continued into a ditch and struck a tree. A fire fighter passenger in the fire truck, received minor injuries and was transported by Missouri Baptist Ambulance to Missouri Baptist Hospital. Assistant Fire Chief reported Friday that neither firefighter were seriously injured in the accident. The firefighters were reportedly returning from a motor vehicle accident on Highway 185 South when the accident occurred. "We were lucky that both firefighters were not seriously injured," said the Assistant vFire Chief. "We’re not sure, at this point, how severe the damage is to the truck and we won’t know until the truck is inspected by the manufacturer." The truck, known as 814, is a pumper/rescue apparatus that cost the district an estimated $230,000 to $240,000. Insurance adjusters visited the Sullivan Fire Protection District Station One and reviewed the damage. "With this apparatus out of service, we have moved another unit from one of our other stations to aid in handling alarms from Station One," said the Assistant Fire Chief. "We’re not sure how long we will be without 814 and, at this point, we’re uncertain if the vehicle is going to be totaled."
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