Photos by Tim Olk

Carl J. Haddon

Here in the northern Rockies, we’re told to expect a winter much like that of last year. That said, last winter was an anomaly (although the old-timers tell us that our conditions here last year “used to be” the norm) that just about kicked our…. Anyway, we had way above “normal” snow accumulations that started about Thanksgiving time, and lasted well into February. Emergency access to just about everywhere was a challenge because of snow and ice. The associated flooding and ice jam problems caused by rapid thaws and refreezes of the river added to the equation.

Does your department have special winter weather challenges? Are you ready for this winter? Are apparatus tires, chain systems, 4x4 systems, snow plows, and winter hand tools all checked, serviced and ready for snow and ice? Is it time to contact your local department of transportation, and make sure that you’re synced up for highway/vehicle accident calls requiring sand or cinder trucks? Is it time to do a refresher course on emergency vehicle winter driving and winter traffic incident management? 

Things like hydraulic rescue tools need some special attention this time of year to make sure that the fluids are topped off and ensure that the proper winter fuel (mix) is at the ready for portable power units and chain saws. Pay some extra attention to your hydraulic hose couplings for unwanted dirt and debris that can make for difficult connections. Remember, it’s one thing to have to wipe junk from connectors when it’s warm and dry. It’s a whole other bag o’ cats when those connectors are wet, frozen, AND dirty. The most common cause of twin-line hydraulic tool failures is a result of blown seals and “dynamiting” that is caused by poor/incomplete hydraulic hose connections.

How are your ice rescue and dry suits looking? Unfortunately, dry rot is a fact of life when it comes to wet suits, dry suits, and ice rescue suits. Now is the time to check and double check the condition of these suits. Do these suits still fit your crews like they did last winter? I’m guessing you don’t want to get caught out on an ice rescue call with an ill-fitting suit. That’s a quick way to turn one emergency into two emergencies in a hurry. 

As we’re also about to get darker sooner with the time change, is your scene lighting in good shape? How about those chimney fire calls? If we can access the roof safely, we will often use Purple K bombs (Zip Lock baggies filled with Purple K powder) that go down the stove pipe (ONLY AFTER MAKING SURE THE STOVE DOOR IS CLOSED). This requires the use of various ground ladders. When was the last time you thoroughly checked and serviced your compliment of ground ladders? Do ladder hooks swing and lock as they’re sup