MUSKEGON, Mich. — It's been a yearslong problem — people driving over fire hoses in Muskegon County. And it's more than just an inconvenience for firefighters. Two veterans with the Muskegon Charter Township Fire Department (MCTFD) say it's happened sporadically in the area over the last several years, but recently, it's become more of a recurring issue.
“We've had a string of incidents, in the past year, where fire hoses have been struck by vehicles,” said Jack Wydeck, fire inspector with the MCTFD.
So what may be a driver's mistake can lead to big problems. “People are actually running over our hoses, damaging them, compromising them, and then possibly compromising our fire scene with our supply of water," said Chad Forward, engine operator with the MCTFD. “That increased pressure is coming back to my truck, and that can do damage to my valves, everything that's going on inside.”
That can cause contaminated water. And if pressure builds up in the hose, and someone runs over it... “Now you're looking at a breakage of the hose and the possibility of somebody getting injured,” Forward said.
The supply lines are firefighters' lifeline for water. “If I don't have the water coming into the truck, I can't put the water out of the truck to fight the fire,” Wydeck said.
When the water runs dry, “I have to communicate with my guys inside and say, ‘Hey, our source has been compromised. We're limited on water supply,’” Forward said.
They normally carry 1,000 feet of supply line on the truck. "We're getting rid of that damaged hose, pulling a new hose down, reconnecting to the hydrant, reconnecting to the truck… So we're pretty much starting our process all over again that we did when we were arriving on scene.”
Supply lines are not easy to replace, either. "It’s about $1,000 to replace the section hose,” Wydeck said. And it’s about six to eight months before they get a new one.
But what's more important than saving money is saving lives. “If that fire hose got run over and damaged, we wouldn't have the water that we need to put that fire out. And it's all because somebody's not paying attention to the fire hose on the ground,” Wydeck said.
So, especially in this weather that’s far below freezing, MCTFD urges people to be careful and alert while driving near firetrucks because you never know what damage you might otherwise cause.
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