A Walker County (GA) Fire Rescue ladder truck tipped over and caught fire recently, newschannel9.com reported.

Georgia State Patrol (GSP) cited the driver of the apparatus, a mechanic, for not having the proper license to drive the rig. The driver and his supervisor were fired after the crash, the news report said.

According to newschannel9.com, a Georgia State Patrol report states that the Director of Fleet Management in Walker County, Ricky Carr, said he gave mechanic John Chance Pendergrass permission to take the fire apparatus out for a test drive that day. Carr told investigators that he believed Pendergrass had the correct license to drive the fire truck.

Pendergrass was test driving the vehicle, wanting to clear up a brake issue, according to the GSP report. As the rig approached train tracks, the driver attempted to stop at a stop sign but the brakes failed. The driver lost control of the truck going over the railroad tracks, dropped off an embankment, and the vehicle turned over on its side and caught fire.

 

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Hosebed height is more than a measurement—it’s a critical ergonomic consideration that directly affects firefighter safety and efficiency. A recent YouTube short (below) garnered many responses that Ricky Riley and Chris Mc Loone took time to address in this episode of Talking Trucks.

Ricky Riley emphasized that hosebed height must be viewed in conjunction with hosebed length and storage style. A longer hosebed allows hose folds to sit flatter and lower, reducing the height the firefighter has to lift or reach. Conversely, a shorter hosebed with tight folding may offset any benefits from a lower deck height, effectively raising the working height despite “low” hosebed designations.

The podcast also pointed out the impact of compartment style. Full-depth, rescue-style compartments often push the hose bed higher simply by their vertical design. When departments need sizable compartments for extrication tools, ladders, or equipment, that trade-off is often unavoidable.

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Through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS), the Amarillo Fire Department (AFD) is deploying Engine 42 and several personnel to Kerrville to assist with ongoing flood response and recovery efforts, the department said in a Facebook post.

Additional assignments may follow in the days ahead as the situation continues to unfold, the post said.

“We’re honored to stand with our fellow Texans during this time of need,” AFD said in the post.

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The Sarasota County Fire Department (SCFD) announced it is grateful to Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and the local Firehouse Subs restaurants in Sarasota, Florida, for awarding SCFD a nearly $40,000 grant recently, the department said in a Facebook post.

“Having the proper tools is crucial to the safety of our first responders and community,” the post said.

With these funds, the department will purchase a Polaris Ranger Crew 1000 utility task vehicle (UTV) with emergency lighting, patient transport equipment, winch and other accessories. It will allow SCFD to respond quickly and efficiently to medical and other emergencies on Sarasota County beaches.

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QUINN COFFMAN
The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
(TNS)

The man who allegedly stole an ambulance on Wednesday from the Mid City location of Baton Rouge General was trying to convince an EMS crew to deliver him to the hospital’s other location on Bluebonnet, according to police records.

When the paramedics denied him, Flordy Washington, 38, took matters into his own hands.

Shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Washington was outside Baton Rouge General-Mid City’s ambulance bay, according to an affidavit for his arrest.

He approached an ambulance crew that was busy taking a patient into the hospital and asked if they would take him to the hospital system’s Bluebonnet location. The EMTs told Washington to hold off for a minute as they dealt with their patient, but that they would come back and help him, according to the affidavit.

The crew locked the ambulance, which was running with the keys inside. However, a fail-safe unlocked the vehicle as the crew went inside the hospital.

Washington then got inside the ambulance, and as he left the hospital, police dispatch received a call about the stolen vehicle and officers were dispatched.

The ambulance was spotted nearly two miles away, at North Foster Drive and Gus Young Avenue, heading northbound on North Foster. Here, officers turned on their lights and started to pursue.

Washington refused to stop and led officers on a circuitous chase, traveling a number of streets, including driving through parking lots and heading the wrong way on Airline Highway and Old Hammond Highway. He also ran two red lights, one of which caused the ambulance to ram two other vehicles.

The ambulance finally came to a stop near a residential cul-de-sac on Elwood Court, at which point officers exited their vehicles and ordered Washington to allow them to handcuff him. Washington again refused, and was shocked with a Taser by officers before being arrested.

He told officers he was tired of walking and wanted to be taken to Baton Rouge General Bluebonnet, according to the affidavit. Washington also told officers that the driver of the ambulance told him to take it.

Washington was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Wednesday for a host of counts, including: theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated criminal damage to property, aggravated flight from an officer and two red light offenses.

© 2025 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.. Visit www.theadvocate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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