FIREFIGHTER CHARGED BY COPS IN ROLLOVER CRASH DURING TRAINING

VIRGINIA FIREFIGHTER CHARGED BY COPS IN ROLLOVER CRASH DURING TRAINING: Amongst The Charges: FAILURE TO WEAR A SEAT BELT

Sunday, March 22, 2009

6 Virginia Firefighters were injured in a crash involving their fire truck this morning around 0800 hours.  They are all members of the Pearisburg Volunteer Fire Department and were reported to be out doing training.
The apparatus encountered a slight curve in the road, the rig dipped off the pavement and hit a tree, went down an embankment and rolled several times. One of the firefighters was flown by air from the scene, the other firefighters were also injured but the extent of the injuries isn’t known yet. The apparatus driver, FF Daniel Johnson, 29 was charged by Virginia State Police with failure to maintain control, reckless driving and failure to wear a seatbelt. Speed was reported to not be a factor.

By Dr. Burton A. Clark, EFO, CFO
How many times a day do we, the fire service, fail to wear seat belts? How can we call ourselves a profession (volunteer or career) and a brotherhood and continue to let this happen? How can we tell a family that their firefighter is not coming home because the fire department seat belt policy was not followed or enforced? How many more funerals must we have?
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