ESSA, Ontario, Canada -- Two Essa Township volunteer firefighters were injured in a rollover on Dec. 7, and their chief is crediting the use of seat belts for saving their lives, according to The Barrie Examiner.
The firefighter were returning to the fire hall after responding to a fatal crash when the crash occurred around noon when their fire truck rolled into a ditch.
Both firefighters were sent to Alliston's Stevenson Memorial Hospital and were treated for minor injuries before being released.
"We were just so lucky," Essa Township Fire Chief Paul Macdonald told the newspaper. "Aches and bruises, and maybe a bit of pride, but, to be very truthful, I think seat-belts saved lives."
Officials do not yet know if the 2003 fire truck, estimated at $300,000, can be repaired and returned to service. The department plans to use a 1995 backup truck to fill the void.
