Several firefighters are recovering after crashing their fire truck on the way to an emergency call.
Officials said the crash happened at about 1:19 a.m. Sunday 11900 block of U.S. Highway 42 in Oldham County. The vehicle crashed between Club Drive and Goshen Lane.
Investigators said the North Oldham Fire Department vehicle was heading westbound on the highway en route to a fire at a home in the Paramount Estates subdivision.
A man was shocked with a Taser gun and taken into custody Thursday after police said he tried to steal a fire truck.
The incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m. on the 2700 block of North Bend Road.
Firefighters were responding to a medical call when the man came out of a home and began acting strange. Officers said the man jumped in a fire truck and revved the engine, but could not put the truck in gear.
Fire apparatus are sophisticated, complicated machinery and, generally, it's best to leave repairs and maintenance to trained professionals. Certified Emergency Vehicle Technicians (EVTs) can be found in privately owned shops and dealerships as well as municipally-owned maintenance facilities.
Firehouse.com and Firehouse magazine talked to several around the nation to get there take on the best practices for apparatus maintenance.
Editor's Note: This article is part of a year-long series that explores the recommendations and philosophies of manufacturers and maintenance crews to help keep fire apparatus in good condition and available for the next response. The series starts on page 56 of the January 2010 edition of Firehouse Magazine and continues with the links below.
Firehouse.com writer Ed Ballam talks with Bill Foster, vice president and member of the board of directors of Spartan Motors.
Foster has been a firefighter for more than 30 years and is a huge advocate for apparatus maintenance training. He talks about what firefighters should and should not do to keep their apparatus on safely on the road.
Firehouse.com writer Ed Ballam continues his coverage of apparatus maintenance as he talks with Glenn Davis, the founder and owner of Lakes Region Fire Apparatus Inc., an apparatus service center and HME/Ahrens-Fox dealer in Tamworth, NH.
The two discuss the need to find a competent and trusted service center as part of a solid apparatus preventative maintenance program.
