Watch out for emergency vehicles

Engine 30 sustained damage on the drivers side when it collided with a passing vehicle on the Downtown Connector.

(John Spink, jspink@ajc.com)

The incident happened just before 5:30 a.m. on I-75/85 southbound past Langford Parkway. Fire crews responded to a reported car fire, but discovered on arrival that there was a disabled vehicle, but no fire, Atlanta fire Battalion Chief Paul Cuprowski told the AJC.

Cuprowski said the engine remained on the scene to block traffic for the stranded motorist. The driver was sitting in the fire engine when another motorist struck the left front of the engine, Cuprowski said. He said the firefighter sustained a side injury and possibly a head injury, and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment. His injuries were not believed to be serious. The motorist that hit the fire engine was not injured. Cuprowski said that incidents where emergency vehicles are struck by other motorists are “unfortunately not uncommon.”

Other drivers sometimes “get tunnel vision and get drawn into the lights,” he said. The chief had advice for motorists when they approach emergency vehicles stopped along the highway. “A lot of this evolves from rubber-necking,” he said. “The best thing you can do is move over as far as you can and keep your eyes on the road, and not on the incident.”

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This incident stresses the need for the driving public to use extreme caution when driving in the vicinity of a medical emergency, fire, or other incident that has occurred either in the roadway or in the emergency lane. Here are some tips that, hopefully, will keep you and the responders out of harm's way:

Be wary of developing tunnel vision. This is especially true at night when driver's are "hypnotized" and get drawn into the lights of an emergency vehicle.If you see lights flashing, go ahead and move over one (1) lane (normally to the left) before you get too close to the scene.

Be alert for emergency personnel and/or other drivers. Although emergency personnel make every effort to "box in" a highway emergencies - meaning they surround it with their vehicles - however emergency personnel might still be in the lane(s) where traffic is still moving.

Stay off your cellphone when driving near a roadside emergency. Cellphone usage is dangerous when driving but becomes potentially deadly when there is a roadside emergency. The combination of personnel - or civilians - in the roadway along with emergency vehicles demands your full attention and you can't devote that if you're talking on the cellphone.

Don't rubber-neck! Battalion Chief Cuprowski summed it up best: "The best thing you can do is move over as far as you can and keep your eyes on the road, and not the incident".

Until next time . . .

Don't they ever go away?

SOUTH FULTON, Tenn. -- Firefighters in this northwest Tennessee city let a mobile home burn to the ground because the owner didn't pay an annual $75 fire protection fee, authorities say.

Jeff Vowell, city manager of South Fulton, said that the city fire department let Gene Cranick's trailer home near the Kentucky border burn last week because he didn't pay the subscription common in many rural areas.

Cranick's doublewide home is outside city limits. But South Fulton offers fire protection to nearby residents for a fee and once the fire threatened to spread, the department did protect a neighboring house that had paid.

Cranick's son, Timothy, was so angry he later went to the fire house and punched the chief, police said. The younger Cranick was charged with aggravated assault and is free on bond, according to authorities.

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said that if the city allowed people to pay after the fact there would be no incentive to subscribe. As an analogy, he said an insurer won't pay for an auto accident if insurance lapses.

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My wife pointed this story out to me last night on Yahoo. I can remember back in the early 80's - when I first became part of the fire service - reading numerous articles about situations like this . . . but, like an annoying in-law, I guess they never really go away. Although I have to admit something new has been added in this situation with the Mayor publicly commenting on the situation. Usually the elected officials try to steer clear of the furor that the actions of a subscription fire department cause. It will be interesting to follow this story and see what develops.

Until next time . . .

Christmas time fire safety

Inviting scene isn't it? Sadly, however, these beautiful scenes are often marred by a destructive fire caused by the very decorations which are designed to make the season bright and cheerful. The good news is that these fires are easily preventable by following some simple safety tips that I will present here.

Trees

When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. Be weary of a tree that is already loosing needles -- this is an indication that it is already starting to dry out.

Before bringing the tree into the house, make a fresh cut at the base of the tree. This allows for better water absorption. Check the water level daily and add water as needed.

When placing the tree, avoid putting it near heating vents, wood burning stoves, or other sources of heat.

Use only lights that carry the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) label. Prior to placing them on the tree, check for frayed wires, loose plugs, or broken bulbs.

Make sure others decorations - especially garland or tinsel - are flame resistant.

Do not overload outlets or run cords under rugs or across high-traffic areas.

Make sure to turn off lights when leaving the house or going to bed for the night.

Holiday decorating

Use only decorative lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Choose decorative lights which have fused plugs.

Before using light sets - even new ones - examine them for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets.

Use no more than three (3) standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect them from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold light strings in place -- never use nails or tacks.

Until next time . . .