Sunday, January 09, 2011

Connecticut Post - John Burgeson: Officials: 2 firetrucks lost in crash saved lives

http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Officials-2-firetrucks-lost-in-crash-saved-lives-945656.php

Officials: 2 firetrucks lost in crash saved lives

John Burgeson, Staff Writer Published: 11:19 p.m., Saturday, January 8, 2011

The floor of Stratford Fire Headquarters was covered by the fire-fighting and rescue gear that had been stowed in the two smashed-up fire engines. Both Engine 1, and Engine 5, suffered heavy damage when they were hit by tractor-trailer trucks on I-95 Friday night. Six firefighters also received minor injuries. Photo: John Burgeson / Connecticut Post |

The floor of Stratford Fire Headquarters was covered by the fire-fighting and rescue gear that had been stowed in the two smashed-up fire engines. Both Engine 1, and Engine 5, at left, suffered heavy damage when they were hit by tractor-trailer trucks on I-95 Friday night. Six firefighters also received minor injuries. Photo: John Burgeson / Connecticut Post |

Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Officials-2-firetrucks-lost-in-crash-saved-lives-945656.php#ixzz1AZ1Cnf00

STRATFORD ---- The Stratford Fire Department is reeling after the sudden loss of two of its fire engines in a crash on Interstate 95 in which one tractor-trailer slammed into Engine 1, and another into Engine 5.

The crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. on the southbound side on I-95 near Exit 30. Six firefighters received minor injuries and were treated and released at Bridgeport Hospital, according to Fire Marshal Brian Lampart.

Officials said the engines were responding to a two-car crash with injuries. It was snowing at the time, and weather was "definitely a factor," Lampart said.

The two crashes occurred almost simultaneously, officials said.

Lampart said the two engines, each with a replacement value at about $420,000, were parked in a "staggered" configuration on the highway, in order to protect the lives of the firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other first responders to the original car crash. In this positioning of the trucks, one is parked in the right-hand lane and the other in the center lane, in order to both direct traffic around the mishap, and also to provide protection in event an incompetent driver happens upon the scene.

"The system worked," Lampart said. "Even though we lost two trucks, we would have been looking at six or seven fatalities and/or very serious injuries had those trucks not been in place."

Officials said that the procedure of staggering the engines on highways when responding to car crashes is standard operating procedure in most fire departments nationwide.

"One engine works the crash, and the other is a `bumper,' if you will," said Fire Chief James J. Cavanaugh.

Fire officials said that fire protection in Stratford won't be jeopardized because the town has two older spare fire engines.

"But that's it -- we're out of spares," Lampart said, adding that surrounding towns have offered to provide coverage, if needed.

Cavanaugh said in the next few days, factory representatives will visit fire headquarters to look at the damage to determine whether the engines are reparable. At the very least, officials said that both trucks will be out of service for several months.

Cavanaugh said that the town will vigorously pursue insurance settlements from the two tractor-trailer drivers. Both trucks had their emergency lights flashing at the time of the crash.

Some of the ruin was obvious -- both engines seemed to have suffered almost identical damage, with their left-rear corners pushed in. But there are quite likely things wrong throughout both vehicles.

"A tractor-trailer has a lot of kinetic energy," Lampart said.

Cavanaugh said that the fire department had just gotten over a period in which it had a serious apparatus shortfall, and now it suddenly finds itself in the same hole.

"We thought we were off the hook," Cavanaugh said. "It is a little somber here. We thought we were in pretty good shape, and now we're back to square one."

Both engines are based in Fire Headquarters at 2750 Main St. Engine 5 is the older of the two; it's a 2000 Pierce Saber pumper. Engine 1 is the department's newest large apparatus; it's a 2008 Smeal pumper, Cavanaugh said.

Smeal trucks are built in Snyder, Neb., and the Pierce engines are built in Appleton, Wis.

On Saturday, firefighters were seen struggling to get the equipment doors open on both trucks. Because the door frames were out-of-square, or "racked," they had to be pried and sledge-hammered open. The floor of fire headquarters was filled with axes, fire extinguishers and other firefighting gear that had been securely stowed on the two trucks a day earlier.

"This hurts. The men spend a lot of time outfitting the apparatus," Lampart said.