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Some passing clouds. Low 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..
Some passing clouds. Low 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
The Watertown City Fire Department station on South Massey Street. Watertown Daily Times
The Watertown City Fire Department station on South Massey Street. Watertown Daily Times
WATERTOWN — City firefighters will soon have the hydraulic fire equipment that they needed when a man was trapped underneath a dash board following a fiery crash on Arsenal Street in October.
Firefighters had to wait 16 minutes for the Town of Watertown Fire Department to bring its Jaws of Life equipment before they were finally able to free the 18-year-old man in the Oct. 14 crash.
The Watertown City Fire Department lost the use of that kind of equipment — called hydraulic rams and other tools and equipment — at emergency scenes after the City Council decided in January 2021 to permanently take the department’s heavy rescue truck off the road.
The move was made to save money, but it was met by considerable opposition.
Now the city is seeking bids to purchase fire hydraulic and other battery-powered fire equipment. The department wants to add a battery-powered cutter, spreader and hydraulic telescopic ram.
“This will help by having more effective equipment than we have,” Fire Chief Matthew R. Timerman said.
The cutter would be used to cut a vehicle’s roof open, the spreader would tear metal apart and the ram would utilize hydraulics to do such things as removing a crushed vehicle dash board and free someone entrapped.
That hydraulic ram would have been used to free the man from underneath the dash board after the Oct. 14 crash, Chief Timerman said.
If they had the ram at their disposal, firefighters would not have had to call the town fire department for its Jaws of Life, he said.
Four Fort Drum soldiers were credited with helping to pull three teenagers from the violent crash involving a Dodge pickup truck and a Dodge Durango.
The pickup was so mangled the soldiers didn’t realize the fourth person was trapped until one of the victims yelled out asking whether they were able to free him.
Since the crash, the Clayton Fire Department has lent its gas-powered hydraulic equipment to use in accidents with trapped victims.
The city is seeking bids for what is considered standard equipment. Responding bids will be opened on Feb. 16.
“It’s a quick turnaround because it’s standard equipment,” Chief Timerman said.
The new equipment will be placed in a utility vehicle, a Ford F-550, at the Massey Street fire station.
The city budget has $40,000 to pay for the new equipment. The heavy rescue truck was sold for $25,900 in a public auction and was bought by a used auto company in Oriskany.
The heavy rescue truck, which was staffed 24 hours a day, was equipped with an electric hydraulic unit.
The trend in the firefighting industry, however, is moving to battery-powered equipment because it’s more portable and can also be used in several situations other than accidents, Chief Timerman said.
The bid also calls for other equipment that would be needed to use the cutter, spreader and ram.
The lowest bid will be selected. The city is expecting multiple awards from the bid.
The four people involved in the October crash have recovered from their injuries.
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Cost to benefit ratio worth it for something that might never be used? Wasteful spending?
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