Driver-Only Responding

THE DRIVER OF A CHARLES CITY COUNTY fire department tanker is hospitalized in serious condition following a single-vehicle accident Sunday morning.

photo by James Bates

According to Virginia State Police, Michael Buchanan, 51, of Quinton was responding with the 3,000-gal. tanker around 5 am Sunday morning when he drifted to the right drainage ditch, then crossed over the narrow 2-lane road to the left side where he rolled over and struck a tree.

WRIC-TV

The crash destroyed the truck, breaking it into several pieces.  Buchanan was trapped inside the cab and had to be extricated.  He apparently has some serious damage to his legs and was airlifted to Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Hospital in Richmond.

WTVR-TV Ch. 6 has the STORY.

WWBT-TV

Firegeezer will attempt to get more information for an update today.

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Safe-Driving Display Gains Unwanted Realism

YOU HAVE ALL PARTICIPATED in one of those mock car accidents designed to teach teenagers about the dangers of careless or drunk driving.  That is what was going on in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Friday morning when the town's fire department and police department were staging a crash with injuries along with the safety lectures, plus the extrication and first aid demonstration by the firefighters, for the Detroit Lakes High School students.

WDAY-TV

With the entire student body of 400 gathered on portable bleachers, the demonstration began with a police officer giving the lecture and a few students and community volunteers acting as trapped, injured victims.  Without warning, the unmanned fire engine started rolling and it was aimed right for the "crash" scene.  It struck the two wrecked cars at a low speed (less than 5 mph) causing some minor injuries to the police officer, an EMT and two of the student actors.

The demo became real as the FD had to perform genuine extrications and ambulances were called for real-blood injuries.  Six people were transported, but all were treated and released for minor cuts and bruises.  It hasn't been determined yet for sure why the pumper started rolling.  At the time it was believed that the parking brake had been applied, but that has to be determined yet.

WDAY-TV has the story and more photos HERE.

Firegeezer notes:  This is why all departments must have a firm policy of always using a wheel chock whenever the operator is out of the cab, whether the motor is running or not (outside of the equipment bays, of course).

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Steering Problem

A FIRE ENGINE FROM THE HILTER, GERMANY, Volunteer Fire Brigade lost its steering control Saturday morning and slammed into a wall of the Hilter town hall.

According to the police, the engine's driver lost control of the steering and the truck went directly across a traffic roundabout, then jumped the curb, went through a low stone wall and smashed into the building, luckily hitting it right in a former doorway.

All photos via Nord-West-Media

The crash was just 30 feet away from the police station that was occupied at the time.  There were no injuries, but the early damage estimates exceed 400,000 euros.  The firetruck has been written off as a total loss.  There will be a complete investigation into the cause of the accident.

Nord-West-Media TV has the story and an extensive photo gallery HERE.

Thanks to Christian Lewalter, Feuerwehr Blog.

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London Fire Brigade's Latest Fleet

When I first saw this, thought about the recent article posted by Bill "Firegeezer" Schumm:  UK Decision to Sell Off National Fire College Brings Widespread Complaints, where he covers the difficulties in maintaining the firefightng fleet.

This is different, related to the Olympics.  From the London Fire Brigade Facebook page:

Introducing … Olympic MINIs! We'll be using these to attend to small incidents, like bin fires, on the Olympic Park during the Games. What do you think to them? They'll be out & about in London over the next few months so if you're lucky enough to spot one, do take a snap and upload your pics here.

Fire engines will still be mobilised should larger incidents occur, but the MINIs will provide an immediate response to tackle small fires without unnecessarily disrupting the Games. They are fitted with blue LED lights and a siren. They will carry a range of equipment, such as foam, water and dry powder fire extinguishers to tackle various types of small fire. They also contain first aid equipment.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Mitch Allread creates rolling art

The first video from the "Big Muscle" series from Mike Musto.

It packs a 400 hp diesel out of a Ford F-350, a Dana 80 rear-end, and a look and feel that would make Max Rockatansky feel right at home. This is Mitch Allread's custom fabricated creation and it is, without a doubt, one of the coolest things on the road today.

This is a machine that transcends the traditional hot rod formula by breaking down borders and setting its own stage. Whereas most hot-rods are built by custom shops utilizing parts from mail order catalogs, Mitch took a different approach and fabricated just about everything on his ride by hand. Calling this a rat-rod would be an insult – a work of art however… that'd be just fine.

Kurt Ernst, writing for Motor Authority, describes the powertrain:

Under the hood lurks a “mildly chipped” Ford PowerStroke diesel V-8, pulled from a 1997 Ford F350. Allread figures it puts out in the neighborhood of 400 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque, which explains why he retained the dually wheels at the back end.

Ernst, also writing for Automotive Addicts, describes the Big Muscle host, Mike Musto:

Mike Musto is the car guy’s car guy. He’s run Bullrun, campaigned a vintage Dodge Charger called “Mr. Angry” in One Lap of America and has forgotten more about the pro-touring scene than you or I will ever learn.

Now he’s got his own weekly series on YouTube’s Drive channel called “Big Muscle,” and if the first episode is any indication, it will be worth tuning into.

The pace and focus of the first 10 minute video takes a different approach to the automotive feature, more speaking and less smoking tires.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Driving Through a Red Light

A DARWIN, AUSTRALIA, AIRPORT FIREFIGHTER WAS CHARGED yesterday for a highway crash that killed three people back in August 2011.

ABC News

At the time, Firegeezer reported HERE on August 7:

A major fire broke out in a warehouse in the suburb of Berrimah around 7 am Sunday and the fire officers on the scene requested a foam unit from the airport for assistance. The responding fire-rescue-crash truck was en route to the fire when it collided with an SUV at an intersection with a side road. Four people were in the car and two of them died on the scene, a man and a woman. A third passenger was seriously injured and the fourth had only minor injuries.

After that posting the third injured person died in the hospital.  All of the passengers were architects.  Two of them, Greg McNamara, 45, and his wife Lena Yali, 43, were the principals of Troppo Architects in the Northern Territory.

Jack David Norris appeared in court Monday where the charges were placed against him for entering an intersection against a red light, driving negligently and driving dangerously, causing harm or death.  Davis will return to court in June.  Via:  7News.

Thanks to Mark D. for the update.

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Driver Blinded By Sun

A RHENA, GERMANY, FIRE BRIGADE VAN was transporting a group of Junior Firefighters to an event Sunday morning when it wrecked and rolled over.

112-Magazin / pfa photo

The group was headed to a Fire Brigades Youth Day in Frankenburg when the 23-yr.-old driver was blinded by the sun in his direct vision.  This caused him to leave the road where the van struck a tree on the right rear side, then spun around and went into a ditch where it rolled over and landed back on its wheels.

The van was carrying five boys of ages 9 through 16 yrs. who all received relatively minor injuries but were transported to the hospital for treatment.

112-Magazine has the full STORY HERE plus this brief video report:

Submitted by Christian Lewalter, Feuerwehr Weblog.

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Met At The Intersection

A BALTIMORE CITY, MARYLAND, FIRE ENGINE collided with a department ambulance while both were responding to emergency calls Friday night. 

WBFF-TV

The accident occurred just before 8 pm at an intersection on W. North Ave.  The two medics were injured, one only slightly but the other was transported to the shock trauma center.  There were no injuries among the firefighters and the two units had fairly minor crash damages.  It was not clear whether they were responding to the same call or not with conflicting reports.

WMAR-TV has the STORY.

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Totalled During Driver Training

A MADISON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, FIRE TRUCK rolled over during a driver training session Monday evening leaving the truck demolished.

WLBT-TV

The accident occurred shortly after 5 pm Monday when the truck apparently drifted off the road into soft  ground and then rolled over at least once.  There were two firefighters in the cab and the driver was trapped for about 10 minutes while another crew worked with the Hurst tool to free him. 

WAPT-TV

Both FF's were transported for relatively minor injuries.   They were both wearing seat belts and that is being credited for their having survived the crash.

WAPT-TV filed this video report from the scene:

WLBT-TV captured some aerial video:

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"This department is being held together with bubble gum, baling wire and duct tape," says Pat McOsker, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City.

This video shows Dirk Steinhardt riding with Chicago Tower Ladder 14 last September. They were using a reserve rig when Dirk was there.

Ride along with Tower ladder 14 of the Chicago fire department responding to a fire. Engine 117, engine 113, truck 26 and a battalion were also on scene. It was actually a small electric fire. Truck 14 normally runs a new Pierce rig but it was out of service for some reason so that they had to use this older truck.

The rattles, groans, slow/dim/not working emergency lights when E252 responds (a the 1:20 mark) reminded me of another complication of multiple years of budget crisis.

The rate of vehicle replacement is slowed down, routine maintenance is deferred and shop staff are reduced. 

A Spiral of Increasingly Worse Performance and Critical Failures

The optimum time to replace a vehicle is when its total costs, averaged over the vehicle's lifetime, are at a minimum. That is determined by looking at the operating expenses, maintenance, downtime and deprecation.

The New York State Comptroller shared data they accumulated on local government automobile maintenance costs:

During a 1980s budget crisis, a suburban Virginia county tried to get more than 200,000 miles from all vehicles. For police cruisers, the cost-per-mile maintenance approached $0.30 per mile.

The sweet spot for Ford Crown Vic police cruisers used by some large law enforcement agencies was 50,000 miles. After that point, major maintenance expenses (transmission, air conditioning compressors, electronics, etc.) would start accumulating.

Putting all of the factors creates the "Economic Life" of a vehicle:

What happens when a municipality tries to keep apparatus well beyond their economic life?

Pictures by Gordon J.Nord, Jr. of the front-line Tower 14 at a greater alarm fire December 14, 2011.

Source Chicago Area Fire.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward