A Kern County (CA) Fire Department engine, parked at the scene of an accident, was struck by a vehicle Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, the department said in a Facebook post.

Kern County firefighters from the Mojave station responded to reports of a traffic accident involving two passenger vehicles. Upon arrival on Highway 14 near Silver Queen Road, personnel located the vehicles and began providing medical care to one patient on scene, working alongside Hall Ambulance personnel.

While crews were actively treating the patient, a secondary accident occurred on the highway involving two vehicles passing the original scene. One of the vehicles from this secondary collision lost control and struck the parked Kern County Fire Department engine. No KCFD firefighters, Hall Ambulance personnel, or California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers were injured during the impact.

Crews quickly assessed the individuals involved in the secondary crash. One patient from that incident was treated on scene and transported to a local area hospital for further evaluation.

Roadways continue to present one of the most dangerous environments for first responders. The combination of high-speed traffic and unpredictable driver behavior creates significant hazards during emergency operations. This incident serves as a clear reminder of the risks personnel face while working along our highways. Please remember to slow down, remain alert, and move over when you see emergency crews operating on the roadway. Your caution helps ensure their safety.

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Tankers/tenders account for many of the apparatus crashes that occur. Although there are a variety of reasons for the incidents, some people have suggested that they should not “respond lights and sirens.” This month, we asked Bill Adams and Ricky Riley, “Should tankers/tenders be driven at emergency speed?”

Define Emergency Speed First!

BY BILL ADAMS

Recent fire apparatus accidents including those involving tankers/tenders are no doubt the impetus for this question. I thought this could be easily answered: “Depending on road conditions and weather, common sense should be used when driving any emergency vehicle including tenders/tankers at emergency speeds.”

Common sense, aka good judgment, is hard to define. Exercising good judgment is hard to prove in scenarios resulting in damage, disciplinary action, or litigation. Additionally, there is no single definition for the term emergency speed.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1900, Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, Automotive Fire Apparatus, Wildland Fire Apparatus, and Automotive Ambulances, in Chapter 3 Definitions, Section 3.3.176 Mobile Water Supply Apparatus (Tanker, Tender) defines this apparatus as: “A vehicle designed primarily for transporting (pickup, transporting, and delivering) water to fire emergency scenes to be applied by other vehicles or pumping equipment.” Obscuring the issue is that the NFPA does not establish the requirements for one.

Accidents, more appropriately called incidents, are not solely caused by excessive speed. Besides operator error, there could be sudden unforeseeable mechanical issues with the vehicle, unexpected failure of the roadway, or other motorists’ actions. All three can affect the emergency vehicle operator’s reaction.

TRAINING

Emergency vehicle operator (aka chauffeur and driver) error can be attributed to the lack of common sense, negligence, or improper or lack of training. Proper training is essential, and I defer to fellow writer Ricky Riley, whose byline includes being president of Training Traditions, LLC. It is also addressed in Chapter 10 of the former NFPA 1002, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator, which was recently incorporated into NFPA 1010, Standard on Professional Qualifications for Firefighters.

LIABILITY EXPOSURE

I’ll address the question from the perspective of NFPA 1900. Why? If an accident or incident occurs where liability and legal charges are possible, the fire department may find itself defending—under oath—the apparatus involved. Did you purchase the proper apparatus?

Visualize after an incident with your apparatus operator being questioned by law enforcement or testifying in court and being asked questions such as the following: Do you know what a tanker/tender is? Is there a maximum amount of water it should be carrying? What was your vehicle classified as? Is there a maximum speed your vehicle is limited to? Was your vehicle designed to be operated off-road? Is there a difference in road handling characteristics between oval, semielliptical, and square water tanks? Do you know what the fire service rating means on the tires on your vehicle? Common sense or a lack thereof might not help you.

NFPA 1900

The following are my interpretations of NFPA 1900. Remember, it is the written word that counts.

• NFPA 1900 Table 8.1 Requirements by Apparatus Type specifies a minimum 1,000-gallon tank capacity (including all suppression liquids such as foam and water) on mobile water supply apparatus.
• NFPA 1900 does not mandate specific tank configurations for “large” water tanks on mobile water supply apparatus. Although it does require specific accoutrements for tanks larger than

Last week, the U.S. government reopened after a 43-day shutdown. Three federal funding bills for fiscal year 2026 were included in the package to reopen the government, along with two requests for Community Project Funding from U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) that will help first responders in Eastern Kentucky, according to a press release. 

Rogers requested more than $3 million for a new Louisa Fire Department and Emergency Facility and nearly $4 million for the new Pikeville Police Department. The funding was passed and signed into law on Wednesday as well. 

“Our rural first responders need federal, state and local support to make ends meet. I was honored to secure additional funding for the Pikeville Police Department and the Louisa Fire Department to help them expand services and upgrade their facilities to better serve the people of Eastern Kentucky,” said Rogers. “I’m grateful for our brave first responders and proud to support the competitive projects that these two departments submitted for funding in our region.” 

The new fire and emergency operations facility in Lawrence County is estimated to take up to two years for construction with a projected cost totaling $4.2 million. 

“I want to extend my sincere thanks to Congressman Hal Rogers for his strong support and advocacy that helped secure funding for the construction of our new Emergency Communications Response Center. This facility will bring together our Fire Department, Police Department, and Communications Center under one roof — with room for future EMS operations as well. This is a major step forward in improving public safety, emergency response coordination, and service to our citizens. I want to thank all those who helped make this project possible and for their continued commitment to keeping our community safe,” said Harold Slone, Mayor of Louisa.

The estimated cost for the new Pikeville Police Department is $5 million with design and construction expected to take two years. 

“The city of Pikeville is extremely excited and thankful to the Congressman for his work in getting funding for the new Police Station. This new station is greatly needed as we have outgrown our current facility that is over 30 years old and originally designed for 12 officers. There are now 25 officers in the same location. This new facility will have the ability to expand and grow with the cities needs and growth and will drastically improve public safety,” said Jimmy Carter, Mayor of Pikeville.

Congressman Rogers submitted the maximum of 15 Community Project Funding requests totaling nearly $150 million for southern and eastern Kentucky. As Congress continues their work to pass the nine remaining federal funding bills for fiscal year 2026, Congressman Rogers is hopeful that the remaining earmarks will pass the finish line as well. 

• Click here a full list of the projects that Congressman Rogers has requested funding for.

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