In Plymouth Ohio, a fire truck was racing to the scene of a motor vehicle accident when 13 Canadian Geese tried to commit suicide by running in front of the moving fire truck. 13 geese were killed or hurt.When returning from the call, the fire engine and it's crew decide to run the geese over again, apparently for good measure.
From Firehouse.com: "The (Plymouth Fire Department's) Engine Company was en route to a motor vehicle crash on Griggs Road," said Fire Chief William Strubbe. "The geese were on the side of the road, and the driver put on the lights and sirens to scare them off the road, but instead, they went into the road. It's an unfortunate situation."
Mary Featsent, 3803 Plymouth-Brown Road, said it was horrible. Her neighbors agreed.
"We didn't know what to do; there were feathers and blood and birds," Featsent said. "People were driving to work and trying to drive around all these geese, some of them still flapping their wings."
Featsent said only one goose managed to make its way into her front yard, but its wing and leg were visibly broken. To make matters worse, on the return trip from the call, the fire truck ran over the birds again, she said.
Strubbe said fire trucks are large and cannot swerve off the road.
"You cannot risk the life of firefighters to avoid geese," he said.
Strubbe said the geese were moved to the side of the road by Township Trustee Kevin Presley within 30 minutes of the accident.
Plymouth Township road superintendent Mike Wayman said that Featsent's husband called him, and he notified the county to go by and get the birds. Wayman said, "It was a freak thing."
County road crews arrived about two hours later and hauled away the birds, Featsent said.
Featsent believes the firefighters should have removed the birds on the return trip, rather than running over them again.
"Two hours is too long to sit on the side of the road," she said. "It was terrible for passers-by, especially children, to see. http://www.firehouse.com/topic/firefighter-safety/ohio-fire-truck-hits-kills-13-canada-geese
It's very easy to explain why the fire crew did not stop at the scene after the call. It was close to quitting time (the first call came in at 6:00 AM and if this was a pay department, quitting time is almost always 7:00AM)
I find fault with the fire crew, especially the driver and fire officer. Instead of geese, what if this was a child? The truck obviously was going to fast to avoid the birds. Yes, geese are stupid but the article did not say that the firefighters tried to slow down or drive slowly through this tiny area. My guess, at 6:00 AM, they were trying to get to the scene as fast as possible, but again if they could not not stop for birds, would they have been able to stop for a child or adult?
Then to come back through the scene and run over the birds again? The area had to have been kind of dangerous with bird guts and blood all over the place- it would have been quite slippery and dangerous for cars to drive through.
But it was quitting time, so who cares about driving out of control and leaving an area to be dangerous. They had to leave work on time.
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Sounds like the mental ward is missing a patient.
ReplyDeleteEven the fire chief said in so many words the truck was going too fast. If the truck cannot swerve to avoid a danger in the road, the truck was going to fast.
Even at the posted speed limit of 55mph because this road does not have a speed limit sign thus making it 55mph according to the Ohio revised Code. 1000 plus gallons plus the weight of the truck does not make this truck very versatile for evasive manuvers especially since this all happened within 20 yards you cant just slam on the brakes thinking that it will stop on a dime. If it were a child and not geese then the child would know that it was a fire engine hense the lights and siren that were activated at around 0601hrs according to on board black box. Air Horn activated at 0606hrs which places the engine at this time in the scene of this so called "CRIME SCENE" The engine did not even reach the speed limit allowed by the Ohio Revised Code which is 10mph over the speed limit. I suggest you get out of moms basement and get a life. Try driving something other than your little 2 door GEO METRO and see the stopping power of that car with in 20 yards from a posted speed limit. then multiply that by 200 and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that geese are just animals? People hit deer all the time on the highway and yet nothing is said about it. What if they were rsponding to yet another emergency and could not help but run them over again. Wait post your address so that the Police, fire, and EMS workers can stop at the local pound to walk the dogs first before they respond to your house... Seriously??? Now your facts first!!! That is wy you are writing on here rather than work as a reporter for a newspaper!!! Get a life man!!
Umm, you fool, I have been a volunteer firefighter and know a little bit about fire trucks and what they can do and not do. You can't drive a fire truck like a car, though most firefighters do. Further, 99.9% of accident calls are minor and are not life and death if a truck arries 5 seconds later.
ReplyDeleteBut my main critism is that the firefighters didn't even stop on the way back to the station to help clean up the mess, make traffic conditions better and to file an accident report. I am sure if a truck hits 13 geese at 55 MPH, there is going to be some damage to the truck.
Just wondering, if you are reading this, you must also have a problem. I didn't ask you to read this or respond- you choose to. And I never wanted to be a reporter. I have some standards, unlike most reporters.