What happened: On March 24, 2018, while responding to a motor vehicle crash on the West Virginia Turnpike, two members of the Pratt (W.Va.) Volunteer Fire Department were killed, and three others injured – two seriously – when the fire apparatus they were responding on went off the edge of the hard-surface road and struck a stone mountainside just a few feet off the pavement.
The crash occurred on W.Va. State Route 83 (Paint Creek Road) a road that – like many in West Virginia – follows the flat land running alongside a creek or river. These roads typically have no shoulder and the ditch line is adjacent to the pavement. Weather conditions were overcast, occasional snow showers with temperatures in the upper 30s. At the time of the crash, the firefighters had been traveling on Paint Creek Road for approximately three-plus miles.
Why it’s significant: Pratt is a small town (population of 602) located in eastern Kanawha County along the Kanawha River. Like many volunteer fire departments in the U.S., the Pratt Volunteer Fire Department is a key organization in a close-knit community. Its membership is small, and active not only in the fire department, but in the local schools, churches and other civic organizations in the community.
The impact of these deaths and injuries will be felt in the community for many years to come. The immediate impact is that five key members – one of the seriously injured was the fire chief – are out of service to the fire department and the community. For any small volunteer fire department, this negative impact on its ability to serve its community can be a tremendous challenge to overcome. In this case, surrounding volunteer fire departments in Kanawha County are marshalling their resources to provide fire protection in Pratt.
In the longer term, the blow to its membership and the experience lost (one of the deceased had 25 years of fire service experience and the other had 15 years of firefighter experience) is immeasurable.
Top takeaways on apparatus operating risks
While the investigation into this tragic crash is still ongoing, the initial information is consistent with previous crashes where fire apparatus left the hard-surface road. Here are three takeaways from the incident.
1. Operating apparatus is a high-risk activity
The operation of fire apparatus under emergency conditions is a high-risk activity for any fire department, even under ideal road and weather conditions. Proper training and practice are critical for initial skills development and equally important for skills maintenance.
2. Volunteer departments face additional challenges in apparatus training
Developing and maintaining a cadre of knowledgeable and skilled drivers for their fire apparatus is a challenge for any fire department, particularly volunteer fire departments. Fire departments cannot rely on responding to emergencies as the means for their drivers to maintain proficiency. Regular driving and operating drills should be an important fire department training activity.
3. Rural areas present unique apparatus operation challenges
One of the greatest hazards when operating fire apparatus in rural areas is that of the apparatus leaving the hard-surface road. Overcorrection while attempting to bring the apparatus back onto the road can cause the apparatus to flip. Drivers should keep the apparatus in the ditch until it can be brought to a stop or slows enough to allow the driver to regain control and bring the apparatus back onto the pavement.
What’s next: Fire departments should:
- Review their policies and SOGs for personnel to become qualified to operate departmental fire apparatus.
- Review their training policies and SOGs for the initial training, certification and clearance of personnel to operate department fire apparatus.
- Review the common road hazards found in their response areas and provide guidance and direction to personnel on minimizing risk when driving along those routes.
Learn more about apparatus safety
Here are some related articles from FireRescue1 and additional resources on safe apparatus operation.
- LODD: 2 W.Va. firefighters dead, 3 hurt in fire truck crash
- Emergency Vehicle Safe Operations for Volunteer and Small Combination Emergency Service Organizations
- U.S. Fire Administration: Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative
- Best Practices for Emergency Vehicle and Roadway Operations Safety in the Emergency Services
- Key changes to NFPA’s fire apparatus rule
- Qualifying your fire apparatus drivers
- Behind the wheel of a fire truck
