This vehicle accident should serve as a reminder that anything can happen, regardless of how good the chauffeur is behind the wheel.
You can either skip ahead to about the 5:00 mark to view the point of impact or watch it in its entirety, taking every opportunity to learn and discuss all that is available. The latter of the two is obviously recommended.
Fire Apparatus Crash T-Bone Video (The Secret List)
Thursday, September 3, 2015
This video was shared with us and we want to pass it on. The following are the comments that accompanied the video:
This vehicle accident should serve as a reminder that anything can happen, regardless of how good the chauffeur (fire apparatus operator/driver) is behind the wheel.
You can either skip ahead to about the 5:00 mark to view the point of impact or watch it in its entirety, taking every opportunity to learn and discuss all that is available. The latter of the two is obviously recommended. Rest assured that while there are many videos of accidents involving fire apparatus out there, you haven't seen anything from this perspective.
It should be noted that, thankfully, the three parties involved (the two in the rig as well as the driver in the passenger vehicle) did not suffer from any life threatening injuries.
WHAT HAPPENED:
Units from York County, Pennsylvania were dispatched to a reported basement fire in a single family home. Truck 1 went en route with an acting officer whose helmet cam is on the dash board and recording when the accident took place. A full-time, 25+ year firefighter / driver was behind the wheel. The driver of a silver Pontiac Grand Am came to a stop at the intersection around a curve. She heard the sirens and looked around but did not see the approaching truck as she was looking into the sun. She proceeded through the cross road and was T boned by the apparatus.
Interestingly, this accident occurred on the heels of yet another fire apparatus accident only two days prior to this event. On May 29th, an engine company was involved in a single vehicle rollover while en route to an incident and several department members were injured. Thankfully, all of them have since made a full recovery.
After the T-bone, a mandatory inspection of Truck 1 was performed by the state police. Although the driver of the vehicle was clearly at fault and there was nothing the apparatus chauffeur could have done to avoid hitting her, there were concerns about litigation as it was determined that the brakes on the fire truck were slightly out of adjustment.
The chauffeur was very distraught immediately after it occurred. When asked, he will tell you that he thought he killed her. Ironically, it was his actions that, more than likely, saved her life. If you take notice to the split second just before the point of impact, the rig veers to the left. The damage sustained to the apparatus was to the right front (officer's) side. Had this Firefighter not done what he did, she would have felt the full force of the vehicle which may have ended her life.
The following discussion points can and should be used in relation to your respective state laws and department SOPs:
1) Stopping at stop signs and traffic lights
2) Speed on both dry and wet road conditions
3) Radio traffic (is it escalating or de-escalating?)
4) Seatbelts
5) Passing through school zones while responding
6) Passing school buses while responding
7) The use of audio / visual warning devices (Ashley's Law*)
8) Taxation of additional resources
9) Apparatus Inspection (RIP, LT. Kelly, BFD Ladder 26*)
10) Record keeping and documentation
11) Physical, mental, and financial repercussions
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=310&v=8boWQvgo18U
Thanks for the posting of this-a great CLOSE CALLS incident worthy of us all watching, learning and being reminded.
Holding 1 and 1 Video