GRANDVILLE, Mich. — A Grandville fire truck has been struck twice this year by drivers while firefighters were responding to emergencies, highlighting a dangerous trend that's putting first responders at risk.
The fire truck, one of Grandville's newest, sustained approximately $500,000 in damage from the two crashes and was out of service for months while being repaired in Wisconsin. It only returned to service in September after being away for repairs.
"We had sent back to Wisconsin to get fixed about a half million dollars worth of damage, and then we didn't get it back until September of this year, so it's been back in service for about three and a half months now," Grandville Fire Chief Jed Wild said.
While the financial cost was significant, Wild said the risk to firefighters was even greater. When emergency vehicles are struck, it creates additional chaos and danger at already hazardous scenes.
"It adds the confusion to to a fire scene. It adds more hazards to a fire scene. It just adds that heightened level of danger whenever we're working out on the highway," Wild said.
The fire chief identified driver distraction as a major contributing factor to these incidents. He said many drivers become fixated on emergency lights and scenes rather than focusing on safe driving.
"People are drawn to the emergency lights. They want to see what's going on. They want to try and capture that video or pictures. And they just aren't paying attention to driving," Wild said.
Michigan's Move Over Law requires drivers to move over or slow down when approaching emergency vehicles, but Wild said compliance remains insufficient. He emphasized that if drivers cannot safely change lanes, they must reduce their speed.
"So if you are unable to move over to give that wide berth, slow down. Slow down. That's really what we're asking," Wild said.
The Grandville Fire Department has implemented additional safety measures, including traffic attenuators designed to absorb crashes and protect first responders and . However, Wild stressed that no safety device can substitute for driver awareness and responsibility.
"We all want to go home to our families. Obviously, we've chosen this profession, there is a level of danger that goes with it, but there's also that partnership with the community that we're asking you guys to drive responsibly, drive respectfully and slow down around emergency vehicles," Wild said.
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