This is what happens when idiots don't pay attention or slow down!

[medicchick]

Here's a link to the story:

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_102306WABfiretruck_crashSW.678c1f60.html

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Good to hear the firefighter wasn't injured.

VERY close call

[hwoods]

Yeah...........

We need to get that Wingnut deputy sheriff from Kentucky in here to see this.....

[randsc]

I think KY just needs a law like NH

Note the hierarchy of authority: first, fire chief, then engineer or fire officer, and only then law enforcement.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

AN ACT relative to the duties of public safety responders and the expeditious clearance of a roadway.

193:1 Statement of Intent. It is the intent of the legislature to facilitate, as rapidly as practical, clearance of roadways during traffic collisions, natural disasters, special events, and other emergencies, to the extent that this may be accomplished without endangering emergency responders or the public and without destroying criminal evidence. The legislature finds that roadway clearance will be improved through the use of principles of the national interagency incident command system and by fostering coordination, cooperation, and the use of a unified command among police agencies, fire departments, emergency medical response units, departments of transportation and other public and private entities that respond to such situations.

193:2 New Section; Firefighters and Fire Hazards; Expeditious Clearance of Roadways. Amend RSA 154 by inserting after section 7-a the following new section:

154:7-b Expeditious Clearance of Roadways. Subject to the authority and limitations granted in RSA 154:7, I(c) with respect to a propelled vehicle accident, natural disaster, or special event occurring in or immediately adjacent to a state highway, the fire officer in charge, or if the incident is not within the purview of the fire department, the police officer in charge and all public safety responders shall coordinate their efforts to maintain incident area safety and security, including protection of responders to the incident, protection of roadway users and others at the incident site, movement of road users safely past, around, or away from the incident, reduction of the likelihood of secondary crashes, and expeditious clearance of the roadway.

I. The fire chief, or in the fire chief’s absence the engineer or fire officer in charge, or if the incident is not within the purview of the fire department, the police officer in charge, shall as early as practicable in the response, seek the assistance of law enforcement, emergency medical services, towing and recovery services, the department of transportation, and if applicable, the department of environmental services and the department of health and human services, to effectuate the purposes of this section, and such agencies and individuals may provide such assistance as requested.

II. Police officers at the scene may treat any non-emergency vehicle that is obstructing traffic as abandoned for the purposes of RSA 262:31 through RSA 262:40-c, and may order its immediate removal, with or without the consent of the owner or operator. Any spilled cargo or other property obstructing traffic may be treated as a vehicle for the purposes of RSA 262:32 through RSA 262:37, and may be subject to immediate removal with or without the consent of the owner or carrier.

III. Government agencies responding to such incident, including but not limited to law enforcement, firefighting, emergency medical services, hazardous materials teams, transportation agencies, environmental agencies, and other emergency government responders and their agents exercising the incident clearance functions described in this section, shall be exempt from liability for damages resulting from such actions taken pursuant to incident clearance, including those resulting from incident detection and verification, area security and protection, rescue of persons from vehicles and hazardous environments, emergency medical transportation and care, hazardous materials response and containment, fire suppression and elimination, transportation of vehicle occupants, traffic direction and management including the establishment and operation of alternate routes and detours, crash investigation, dissemination of traveler information, temporary roadway repair and facilities restoration, and removal of vehicles and cargo, provided such actions are taken without willful or wanton disregard or gross negligence, and occur at the direction of the fire or police officer in charge.

IV. Notwithstanding other provisions of law to the contrary, any agency, person, or organization incurring the cost of removing vehicles or cargo, or both, at such an incident, if such removal is authorized by the fire or police officer in charge, shall have the right to compensation for the cost of such removal from the owner or owners of the vehicles.

[elswappo]

The article only gave part of the story. Its my understanding that the engine was set up, blocking the lane of travel, protecting the crew while they extinguished a car fire. The crew was reloading hose when the engine was struck. The firefighter that was injuried was on top of the truck when the accident happened.

Good vehicle placement saved the rest of the crew from getting hit by the car.

[Weruj1]

DAMN !!!!!!!!!! when will it ever stop ?

[dday05]

The article only gave part of the story. Its my understanding that the engine was set up, blocking the lane of travel, protecting the crew while they extinguished a car fire. The crew was reloading hose when the engine was struck. The firefighter that was injuried was on top of the truck when the accident happened.

Good vehicle placement saved the rest of the crew from getting hit by the car.

Your last statement I feel is the truth!! The article said the vehicle was traveling at FREEWAY SPEED. The truck looks like it took a heck of a hit and luckily the firefighter and the rest of the crew involved are still here today!! In a way it's probably a good thing they hit the firetruck and not the police car the out come might of been a little bit different.

And Weruj1 your quote when will it ever stop?? GOOD QUESTION!! THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BE SAFE!!

[lexfd5]

DAMN !!!!!!!!!! when will it ever stop ?

Accidents will never stop. That is why we have to have good apparatus placement to protect crews. If things are bad you can always call for another piece of equipment to block for you.

[hwoods]

Don't Think So..............

Accidents will never stop. That is why we have to have good apparatus placement to protect crews. If things are bad you can always call for another piece of equipment to block for you.

I respectfully disagree a bit here. This wasn't an "Accident" as such, since accidents are an unforseen sudden occurence that arises thru NO FAULT WHATSOEVER ON THE PART OF THE DRIVER. Probably less than ten percent of the "Motor Vehicle Collisions" that I respond to fit that discription. We have pretty much stopped using the word accident, since so few really are.

[THEFIRENUT]

I respectfully disagree a bit here. This wasn't an "Accident" as such, since accidents are an unforseen sudden occurence that arises thru NO FAULT WHATSOEVER ON THE PART OF THE DRIVER. Probably less than ten percent of the "Motor Vehicle Collisions" that I respond to fit that discription. We have pretty much stopped using the word accident, since so few really are.

Here! Here!

A true "Accident" rarely happens (you know....like being struck by lightning as your driving down the road). Most collisions have at least one underlying cause. Speeding, inattentive and being impaired just off the top of my head.....