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Winter Weather and Slide Off's, Do You Help?
When your districts are hit with winter weather do the members of your department mobilize to help stranded motorists? I know our local county rescue will take their rescue truck out and pull people out of the ditch so that the county deputies can respond to accidents needing reports.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ashfire on
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I would guess most fire depts would have people out on the roads during snow incidents. We have fd people out with plows going from station to station to help clear the area around a station and I would think that if they come up on someone in need of help they would try to help them. The plows also help units when they are stuck in the snow or get them to the scene. We have county fire dept pickup trucks with four wheel drive and some with plows.
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Permalink Reply by Mac Conant on
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I do. Last year was bad And i was really busy. I've pulled several people out of ditch's and sat and idled through quite a bit of fuel for the simple reason we need to keep the trucks warm and safe.
Thats why I have 33ich Mud/Snow tires on my truck now. With Straps and chains.
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Permalink Reply by Shaun Hansen on
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We only go if we get paged. So it has to be a vehicle on it side or roof, or if there are injuries involved. Our department does not pull commuters out, for liability sake, but we will help whatever we can. If that means calling a tow service for them, and waiting so they can be warm in the truck with us. Or giving them a ride back into town with us. Usually, the deputies will arrive before us and determine if we are needed. I dont really like that set up, if we are not needed they can always cancel us enroute to the scene, otherwise we are on our way.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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I have helped out and so have many of our members...I have 1 rule though....If it is your vehicle then YOU are hooking the strap to it...I am not going to get sued for helping out and pulling a bumper off or causing other damage (it has happened) that's why many State plows will not help any longer.....Paul
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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
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If we were out on a call or returning from a call and encountered some one in need we would help. Normally there are tow companies handling this. We do not have the Winter weather that much of the Midwest and East coast have. I guess if we were in areas where this was a problem we would develop policy for this.
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Permalink Reply by truckeewads on
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We have no policy on this but as a general rule, no. Too much liability and when the snow hits we don't have the time and resources available to pull people out. Of course we are in the business of helping people and customer service so if the need arrises and we come accross someone in need we will stop and request the proper help such as CHP/tow service. To all....be safe this winter.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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It isn't our job to pull vehicles out of ditches and a dept can really open themselves up to issues from private companies that do that service. Also the reason PD nor us will do auto lockouts unless there is a life hazard. If we do come across someone in the ditch, we make sure they are OK and have help coming, but if it is that bad our primary job is to respond to calls, not be tow truck drivers.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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Same here.
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Permalink Reply by Ron Ayotte on
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Amen, Jack.
One year, when I was a Lieutenant at our Station 3, I got a call at 5:30 in the morning from Fire Alarm stating that they were transferring a call to me with a "non emergency citizen's request" for assistance.
The caller was from the condo complex across the street, asking if we could come over and shovel out his car so he could leave for work earlier than usual!
When I told him no, he launched into a obscenity laced tirade that he was a taxpayer, he paid my salary and that if he lost his job it would be my fault and he would sue me for everything I owned. He also stated he was going to call his city councilor and the Mayor.
I then told him, in a nice calm voice... "you just wasted ten minutes that you could have used to shovel out your car.. then I hung up on him.
During last years ice storm, I was at Fire Alarm at 04:30 hours, having been on the road all night (my group had 105 calls from 21:00 hours to 08:00). I stopped in to use the restroom... while I was there they got a 911 call from a "taxpayer" asking if the FD could drop off a generator to his house, as he lost power and he "wanted to work from home that day"...
Once again, I said no. I told him that power was out all over the city, and that we do not lend out generators to anyone. I was was subjected to an obscenity laced tirade and the caller demanded to speak to the Fire Chief. I told him that the Chief works 9 to 4, and that I was in charge of the FD that night. I hung up on him when he then demanded that we drop off a generator to his home, because "it is my right as a taxpayer"...
Some people take the word "servant" in public servant a little too literally... (insert sarcastic rolling eyes smiley icon here...)
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Ron, I'm betting these are same people who, when not allowed to drive through because of fire, mva or other incident we're there to mitigate get all petulant and disbelieving when we tell them that No, they can NOT pass. I love the look on their faces when they hear the word no. Makes my day every time.
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Permalink Reply by Smoke Eater on
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We don't do it. We do get called to several slide offs, especially during the first snow of the season, but if PD can't get to it then we will sit with the stranded motorist until a wrecker arrives to pull them out. Like it was said earlier, there's too much liability and we are not AAA.
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