Sunday, April 13, 2008- A Sacramento (CA) Fire Department truck crashed with a two-door Honda downtown early Saturday morning, killing the car’s female passenger and severely wounding the driver.

Again, the full story is available at www.firefighterclosecalls.com

The post is for informational purposes only. In the days to come, I imagine more information will be disclosed as to the circumstances of the accident.

When was the last time any of us sat down with our apparatus drivers, and reminded of them just how vital to our entire operation they really are?

What are the qualifications for your apparatus drivers? Are they really qualifired? Or, well, is your station sort of short manned, and, well, this guys does make most of the calls, so.....yeah, sure he is a driver.

In the story above, the engine was responding to what turned out to be a residential structure fire. The use of lights and siren in this case was clearly warranted.

What is your department policy on use of lights and siren? Do you downgrade units to a non-emergency response if initial crews report nothing showing? Do you run multiple companies and apparatus wide open lights and siren on the routine AFA with no telephonic reports of fire? Do all your units continue to run lights and siren after units again are on scene, with nothing showing?

I have read multiple threads, on various boards, where the lights/siren debate has been covered to the extreme. There are good arguements on both sides of the debate, to continue the emergency response and to downgrade. What works in our territory may not work in yours. The question is, has the subject ever come up for debate?

Everyone Goes Home. Just a motto? Or a goal that everyone of us has to work for, every day of the week?