Kindersley Fire On Responding to Last Night’s Emergencies
Last night, freezing rain swept across the area, causing havoc.
At 8:07 p.m. last night, Kindersley Fire was dispatched to a large pileup that involved 12 to 19 semis. After arriving on the scene at 8:53 p.m. the crew reported that roads were very slippery with multiple trucks in ditches and abandoned on the highway. Some drivers were driving in the wrong lane trying to avoid collisions.
“Last night at times on the highway there were large trucks jackknifed on the highway, collisions, semis and other passenger vehicles moving into the wrong lane to avoid collisions, others were stuck on guard rails, or they just drove into the ditch. When you come upon these situations, using your brakes and avoiding a collision is difficult,” said Fire Chief Jeff Soveran.
“Our responding agency does understand that sometimes the public is not aware of what’s all involved in a response from emergency services. We would like to make sure your aware of our response times in these conditions, so you can make proper decisions that will help keep you and your family safe.
Our response times double when responding to calls in these conditions, this will also include EMS and Police. Often, when we respond in these conditions, we come across other incidents that need to be cleared–this thins resources, and, again, lengthens our response time.
For example, if you are half an hour away in these conditions, and need medical attention, or to be extracted from a vehicle, we could be an hour or longer trying to get to you. Before you head out on the roads, please be aware of road conditions and the circumstances, as you may be putting yourself or your family into danger. As a department, we also are endangering ourselves when responding in these conditions.”
At 10:15 p.m. the crew was called out for a second time regarding power lines that were arching and down. By 10:19 p.m. they arrived on the scene and by 10:47 p.m. all units were back in service
Drivers are reminded that speed limits are set based on ideal road conditions. If you must be on the roads in these conditions, you should not use cruise control. This is especially important when the road may have black ice on it (a thin layer of transparent ice found on the road or other paved surfaces).
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