- What impact would my involvement in this type of event have on my life?
- Have I ever had a similar event that was only a near miss?
A woman was critically injured when a responding fire apparatus struck the vehicle
she was operating when she turned suddenly into the path of the vehicle. The
fire apparatus, responding with operational lights and siren, approached the
vehicle from the behind. The driver of the car first stopped, and then turned
left in front of the passing apparatus. It is believed that the woman did not
hear the approaching apparatus. The call to which the apparatus was responding
to was a false alarm. People will always do whatever we do not expect them to
do. Our most routine response may be the most dangerous due to our minimal expectation
of risk.
A firefighter was struck and killed on I-35 in northern Minnesota while attempting to extinguish a car fire. As the fire crew worked to extinguish the burning vehicle, a second vehicle stopped in traffic was struck from behind and propelled into the back of the burning car. The firefighter was crushed between the two vehicles and received mortal injury. A second firefighter sustained a leg fracture, and a third firefighter suffered minor injuries. Roadways and highway work sites are dangerous. Never turn your back on traffic. Always post a 'lookout'. Protect your work area access with your big (pick a color) truck. Consider asking for an additional unit if your incident scene is especially congested, constricted or confused. Stage what you do not need off of the freeway.
The operator of a fire vehicle responding to a grass fire at speeds in excess of 70 miles an hour was cited for negligent homicide and forced to post a $10,000 bond in lieu of using a 'get out of jail free' card, pending the outcome of a trial. While the fire vehicle he was driving was properly displaying warning lights and had an operating siren, it was determined that his operational speed was 'excessive'. The deceased's vehicle was rear-ended as she attempted to make a legal turn out of traffic. In the citation it was noted that the operator of the fire vehicle had failed to operate the fire apparatus in a prudent and safe manner. The speed at which we drive our apparatus should match the severity of the event and the inevitability of our being there. That said, nothing would ever be resolved if we failed to arrive. Understanding the handling characteristics of our apparatus, monitoring the condition of our operators, and evaluating the conditions of our environment are crucial to our safe arrival.
A fire engine maneuvering the wrong way on a one-way street, struck and killed a 7 year old boy. The crew was returning to quarters from a fire and the officer had decided to use the street to avoid traffic congestion associated with a community event. The apparatus was proceeding down the street with lights and siren when the child ran into the side of the vehicle. The young boy suffered massive head injuries and died on the scene. Routine operation of fire apparatus under less than routine conditions may necessitate a higher state of vigilance. Regardless of how we proceed, the public may expect something different. I can imagine the young boy running out to see the fire truck, expecting it to be coming from the left and being struck from the right.
Mike Scott,
Kent Fire Department