A new fire truck was put to the test Sunday when it was used to fight a fire in Glen Huron and extricate a driver from a car near Dunedin.
Julie Klukas was driving on 6/7 Sideroad Nottawasaga, travelling east from Flesherton toward County Road 9, Sunday afternoon when her car slipped on wet gravel and the car went over an electric fence and rolled several times, coming to a stop in a field, about 100 feet from the road.
“Speed wasn’t a factor but I went to swerve for a pothole and there was lots of loose gravel. I lost control of the vehicle and fishtailed three times on the gravel before going over the fence and I flipped four times before coming to a stop,” said Klukas. She said she remembers trying to keep her cool to avoid going into shock.
Firefighter Brad Fekete said the car was laying on the driver’s side and Klukas was trapped inside.
The passenger window was broken and Klukas was suspended on her side by her seatbelt. She was able to reach her cell phone, which was dangling by its charger and called 9-1-1. She waited for about 15 minutes for rescuers to arrive. Klukas said she thought she may be able to undo her seatbelt and get out but she is glad that she stayed put, because the car was very unstable and could have shifted if she moved.
The new fire truck, stationed in Creemore, has built-in Jaws of Life and rescuers were able to get set up in less than five minutes, about half the time it would normally take to get the equipment set up. Along with the crew from Clearview’s Singhampton fire station, they stabilized the vehicle before cutting the roof and folding it over to get to the driver, who was relatively unscathed, aside from a concussion, some bumps and bruises.
Klukas said she is very lucky to be alive. Rescuers told her boyfriend that most people don’t walk away from an accident after flipping so many times.
“Clearview fire services, I can’t thank them enough, they were wonderful and same with the paramedics,” said Klukas. “I am very grateful.”
Later that day the new truck pumped water at its first fire in Glen Huron. Clearview Township firefighters from all stations were called to the intersection of Station Street and Concession 8 where a house was on fire. Deputy Fire Chief Roree Payment said neighbours smelled smoke and then noticed flames, and called 9-1-1.
It was believed no one was home at the time of the fire, which turned out to be the case, said Payment.
The new fire truck was initiated to pump water from the mill pond to fight the fire. There were strong winds that night and the house is very close to Hamilton Brothers Building and Farm Supplies so firefighters set up to protect exposures.
“We made sure to put hose lines between the house and the mill, which seemed to work,” said Payment.
The house is a total loss, estimated at $250,000 damage. The fire department is investigating but the fire is not considered suspicious.
The new fire truck, Squad 45, replaces a 26-year-old pumper housed at Station 4. Included in the 2016 budget at $390,000, it was custom built with the needs of the station and the entire township in mind.
In addition to the new built in Jaws of Life, it has a 10-foot rotating extension light on the roof, automatic tire chains for steep climbs in the winter, noise-cancelling headsets including a wireless set for the driver, all to improve safety and communication. The truck has a device that can detect four different gases and carries special gear to rescue firefighters who are trapped, injured or lost. It can carry 818 gallons of water and has an added hose in the front for quick responses to vehicle fires and other incidents.