We had been dispatched for a motor vehicle crash within our first due and responded with our 1500 Gallon 1991 Pierce tanker driven by an officer with 35 years behind the wheel of emergency equipment and our ambulance right behind. Our station sits 1 block off an undivided, extremely busy 4 lane highway in a small residential neighborhood. Both units had all emergency lights and sirens activated. The tanker was in front of the ambulance being driven by the ems chief with over 5 years driving emergency vehicles including all fire apparatus as well. We stopped at the intersection that is only controlled buy a stop sign and waited for traffic to clear and come to a stop for us, so we could make the left turn. Several cars including a tractor-trailer had stopped in the nearest lane and the truck even activated his hazard flashers. There was no traffic at all in the farthest lanes. Just as we eased out the driver was double checking to the right the riding officer screamed at the top of his lungs “STOP! STOP!” without any hesitation at all… the driver halted the tanker just as a car came up to the stopped vehicles, looked up from his cell phone and swerved to miss them then had to swerve into the opposite lanes to keep from hitting us. As he went by us, all we could see was the roof of his car. He went onto the gravel shoulder on the opposite side of the road, skidded sideways and continued on. All we could do was look at each other and shake our heads… there was nothing else to do. So the driver regained enough of his self to continue our response without further incident. Once we arrived at our destination it must have been apparent something happened to us because both our Assistant Chief and a deputy sheriff asked if we were okay. I think our complexion was still a bit pale. We even had to double check the car didn’t hit us as we inspected for paint transfer.
LESSONS LEARNED:
#1-PAY ATTENTION!! We were responding to what the dispatcher said was a car accident where there were unconfirmed reports of no injuries and very minor. Which in fact it was. Minutes after arriving we went in service. The speed limit where this occurred is only 35mph, that car was doing at least 60-70. Had he struck us, it would have been catastrophic. The tanker driver has over 35 years in the department and was in no hurry to turn out into traffic. GOOD THING! Even though you may not be the driver
#2-PAY ATTENTION!!!! did I say pay attention?? in this case, the riding officer prevented a very serious if not fatal responding incident. and most importantly, wear your seat belts as we were. We have a very strict seat belt use policy that even our officers follow. This was the “closest” close-call of my 28 years in the fire department. WHEW!
