Repairs to Begin After Rig Damages N.Y. Station

Repairs could begin this week to the City of Tonawanda's fire station, damaged Oct. 4 when a driver responding to a call accidentally knocked out a brick support pillar using the city's ladder truck.

The pillar, while somewhat load bearing, is also aided by a lateral beam, and two temporary support braces now in place have secured the building's integrity as a permanent fix nears, Fire Chief Charles Stuart said.

"They've got it ready so it's ready to be replaced, the goal was to keep it from getting any worse," he said.

He said the investigation into exactly how the accident happened is ongoing, but that it appears the driver simply turned too soon, causing the truck to swing into the pillar.

"The ladder was the first vehicle out. It was unmanned at the time," Stuart said.

He said the usual driver for the truck was on the road in a different vehicle when the call came in, and one of a group of paid firemen who were off duty at the time offered to drive.

Typically, the captain on duty takes the ladder, but one of them offered to take it for him, so as to allow the captain to respond more quickly in another vehicle.

All paid firefighters have been trained for driving the ladder truck, Stuart said, adding only the city's paid firefighters are permitted to drive the fire trucks.

The truck -- the largest of the fleet -- has its wheels placed very close to the front and rear bumpers, increasing its maneuverability but also meaning it cuts harder.

"He pulled out and it appears when he started to turn the truck ... he probably turned sooner than he should have," he said.

Ladder 1, which has been in service since being purchased in 2008 and is the newest vehicle in the department's fleet, remains in service despite some damage.

The accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. as the department was responding to a report of natural gas inside a home on Broad Street.

Dollar figures haven't yet been finalized as to the value of the damage to either the structure of the vehicle, he said.

Shuffling equipment has enabled all of the department's apparatus to remain in quarters -- albeit close quarters -- pending a permanent fix.

A rescue truck and pumper are now sharing the third bay of the four-bay building, while other less important equipment is being parked at an angle in the first bay.

Stuart said following the accident that there were "three or four" instances when the truck hit the building when the department first took ownership, though far less serious.

Firefighters overcame those issues by using visual references in the street and the building when operating the truck and making turns.

He said he plans to explore the possibility of repairing the fire station so as to remove the center pillar entirely, or else move it back to reduce the chance of similar accidents in the future.

"We talked to the engineer about maybe removing that column," he said. "If it prevents more accidents I would think it's something the insurance company would consider," he said.

With the department's apparatus being stored differently and construction on the building pending, Stuart said he was forced to cancel this Saturday's open house event, where school kids and members of the public are invited to visit the fire house, take part in fire safety lessons and take rides on the fire trucks in honor of Fire Prevention Week next week.

"We're all kind of disappointed but we felt it was in the best interest of everybody," he said.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service