Saturday, February 7, 2015

THE CHIEF OF THE MEDORA FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS KILLED BY OWN FIRE TRUCK AS IT WAS BACKING UP AT A RESCUE SITE



 



THE CHIEF OF THE MEDORA FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS KILLED BY OWN FIRE TRUCK AS IT WAS BACKING UP AT A RESCUE SITE


February 7, 2015

MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS -- 

The chief of the Medora Fire Department was killed Thursday afternoon after being run over by a fire truck driven by his own fire department.

Illinois State Police say the fire department was attempting to close a road for a helicopter to land in a medical emergency.

The incident happened at about 2:30 p.m. in the rural Chesterfield, Ill., area.

The Medora firefighters were responding to a call for a man who had broken his leg when a tree limb fell on him, said Earl Nixon, president of the fire district.

 



Chief Kenneth Lehr, 59, was hit by the fire truck as it was backing up. He was pronounced dead at the scene.




Lehr has been the chief in Medora since 2006 and just last month retired from his day job.

Grief counselors are being provided to other firefighters. Neighboring fire districts are helping by taking all emergency calls for Medora.

Unfortunately, quite a few EMS and fire and police are killed by backing up of trucks or other vehicles at these sites.  The lighting is either not existent or not good at all, there is a lack of coordination with all the EMS and fire personnel, etc.  Therefore, backing up accidents happen all the time.  The chief was killed in the line of duty and he will be missed.