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Drivers, help us
stay safe
One of my biggest concerns as an officer has always been the safety of
the f i ref i g h t er s.
I have always believed that if I
complete my career as a firefighter and no one under my command has
been seriously injured, then my career has been successful.
Hopefully I never have to face a
firefighter’s family whose life has been changed forever by a
serious injury or death that results from a firefighter perfor ming his
duty.
Every day firefighters are on the
front lines handling a wide array of emergency calls, ranging from mundane
to extremely dangerous. One of the most dangerous situations we face on a
daily basis is vehicle accidents. It seems people are so intrigued as they
drive by the accident that they don’t pay attention to emergency personnel
on the scene.
Many times I have seen firefighters
almost hit by drivers not paying attention or trying to drive their
vehicles through areas that have been blocked because they don’t want to
detour around the accident. It even becomes more dangerous on larger
highways like the 311 bypass, where traffic moves quicker.
Drivers on the trucks try to
position the vehicles for protection so firefighters can do their
job safely. Recently we had a squad truck that had been positioned to
protect the firefighters at a vehicle accident and was totaled when a
motorist slammed into the rear of the truck. The motorist said he never saw
the truck even though all red lights on the truck were operating.
&em! sp; I have seen vehicles drive around barricades and even run over
fire hoses to try and get by areas where traffic is blocked. This creates a
very dangerous situation for firefighters, EMS personnel and police, as
well as people who have already been injured in the accident.
I know it’s extremely
frustrating when you are caught in a traffic jam, especially when it seems
like it’s taking forever to get traffic flowing again, but I doubt any of
us would want to trade places with the victims of the accident.
Just realize that it takes
time to care for the injured and remove the damaged vehicles from the road.
You can help. Please drive carefully
and follow the directions of the person directing traffic. Please
watch out for emergency personnel on the scene instead of looking at the
wreck, and please be patient. We will get you moving as quickly as
possible.
With your help, firefighters
can safely return home to their families.
24/7/365: You call; we res p o n d .
KENNETH LEE KNIGHT is a battalion chief in the High Point Fire
Department.
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