New South Strabane fire truck to help protect crews responding to interstate crashes
Photo courtesy of South Strabane Fire Department
South Strabane firefighters will be a little safer responding to crashes on interstates in the township with the help of a “scorpion.”
The South Strabane Fire Department recently purchased a specialized truck designed to alert motorists on the highway that crews are working at a crash site ahead. It also offers a protective bumper in case an out-of-control vehicle strikes it at high speeds.
Fire Chief Jordan Cramer said they found the need for the vehicle after two incidents in which motorists struck their fire trucks while they were stopped on the interstate working at a crash scene. The 1994 KME engine has been repurposed and has a crew cabin to transport firefighters, a flatbed to haul items and a traffic mounted attenuator on the rear that unfurls like a scorpion’s tail.
“They’re undoubtedly needed. If (a car) doesn’t hit that and it hits the other apparatus, it could be a million-dollar vehicle,” Cramer said of the damage to the other trucks. “They’re worth their weight in gold.”
A ladder truck was struck by a speeding SUV on Interstate 70 on April 29, 2023 while firefighters placed the vehicle in a blocking position to funnel traffic down to one lane as they responded to an overturned camper on the highway in the township. On New Year’s Day this year, a South Strabane tanker truck was struck by a vehicle while responding to an accident. The two crashes caused an estimated $120,000 in damage to the two trucks, Cramer said, although fortunately no firefighters were injured.
“On top of that, we’ve had close calls with our firefighters nearly getting struck on the highway,” Cramer said.
That prompted the fire department to search for solutions earlier this year. They found a company that specializes in retrofitting old fire trucks into blocking vehicles, although the $100,000 price tag appeared to be cost prohibitive. But, when that company went bankrupt, the department was able to purchase one of the vehicles in its inventory at a lower cost, spending $60,000 in total after retrofitting it with new lights and South Strabane’s signature navy blue and yellow livery atop the traditional fire engine red framing.
“The cost is hard to justify sometimes. … We definitely lucked out,” Cramer said of the bargain.
When the vehicle arrives at a crash scene, firefighters will be able to unfurl the tail so the reflective bumper faces traffic. In addition, a large construction-like sign with a blinking arrow with LED lights will help guide motorists to one lane or the other, giving them plenty of time to react. The bumper can be replaced or repaired relatively inexpensively if it’s struck by a vehicle.
It also has a HAAS Safety Cloud system that alerts motorists who are using certain GPS mapping systems in their vehicles about emergency scenes ahead. The vehicle likely won’t be used to assist in fighting fires, however, because it is specialized in responding to traffic incidents.
“It’s essentially to block and protect vehicles,” Cramer said. “It can carry lighting and cones. If we need a flatbed and need to transport hoses, we can do that. It’s pretty specific for (traffic) uses.”
With two heavily-traveled interstates running through the township – Interstates 70 and 79 – that converge around Washington, the need was there for such a specialized vehicle. The department was able to purchase the truck usings only donations, Bingo nights and other fundraising efforts, so no tax dollars were spent.
“About 99% of the calls we’re responding to (on the interstates) aren’t South Strabane residents,” Cramer said of the transient nature of the people the department helps. “So thankfully, through this apparatus, we were able to fund it through donations and fundraisers.”