A 46-year-old man crashed into a fire station in Tumalo (OR) late Wednesday night while driving under the influence of intoxicants, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, KPTV.com reported.

Just before 11:30 p.m., Jamie Frank Slagter was driving a 2003 Ford Explorer when he lost control and crashed into the Tumalo Fire Station at 64725 Cook Avenue, the report said. Bend Fire & Rescue said three firefighters were on-duty and in the station at the time of the crash.

No injuries were reported to any of the on-duty firefighters, according to the report.

Deputies arrived to the scene and determined Slagter had been driving while under the influence of intoxicants, the report said. Slagter was issued a criminal citation for DUII and first-degree criminal mischief, the report said.

The vehicle caused significant damage to the exterior wall of the fire station and intruded into the building three-to-four feet, according to the report. Damage to the building is estimated to be in the $100,000 to $150,000 range. The fire chief and fire marshal evaluated the damage Thursday morning and determined the building was structurally sound.

Firefighters spent Thursday cleaning up the debris from the crash. The fire station will remain open and fully staffed.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported an accident involving a fire truck Thursday, DailyJournalOnline.com reported.

At 7 a.m. on Thursday at the intersection of Puebla Drive and Nianga Drive in Goose Creek, a 2006 International Fire Truck driven by Goose Creek Fire Chief Brian Friese was heading north traveling through an intersection on the way to a fire call when the brakes failed, the report said.

According to Friese, when the brakes failed while going through an intersection, the truck was steered into a ditch to prevent going through someone’s barn.

The fire truck reportedly overturned after hitting the ditch. 

The MSHP reported Friese, 51, of French Village, received minor injuries but was wearing a seat belt. He was transported by a private conveyance to Parkland Health Center. Friese said he was the only one in the truck at the time. The fire truck received minor damage.

The Brunswick Fire Department hasn’t seen interest in a tank truck it’s looking to sell, according to Fire Chief Ken Brillant, PressHerald.com reported.

The town’s website posted on September 20 that the fire department would accept sealed bids of at least $10,000 on a 1994 Ford L8000 tank truck, which has been a staple of Brunswick’s fleet for nearly three decades, the report said. One day before the town’s deadline for bids, the department has not received any offers.

The fire chief said he’s not surprised at the lack of interest in a nearly 30-year-old truck, according to the report.

If no bids come in by Friday’s midday deadline, he will meet with the city to discuss next steps, which could include lowering the current minimum bid of $10,000 or searching for a dealer interested in purchasing the vehicle, the report said.

Chief Concerns Richard Marinucci

Fire departments have probably always responded to some types of hazardous materials emergencies.

For the most part, when circumstances require a response from local government and there are no clear-cut options, the fire department often is the default agency. Prior to the establishment of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, fire departments sent out their personnel to do the best they could. Fortunately, in many cases, there were not too many events, and the complexity was not as great as it is today. Through advances in society and science, many new chemicals exist and methods to use and transport have increased. Yet, statistically and anecdotally, response to emergencies involving hazardous materials has not overburdened most departments.

The need to be prepared to respond remains. As standards and regulations have been developed, fire departments have had more expectations placed on them. They have been given direction as to preparation and response. It could be argued that many of the requirements are not completely aligned with typical fire department responses. Time often is not critical to take action, and those performing jobs must have the proper training. In contrast, response to structure fires has always relied on rapid response with the purpose of getting to the scene in the moments that matter—that is, in time to save those who are savable and minimize the damage caused by the spread of fire. Regarding training, beyond the bare minimum, it is up to the local departments. Though national standards exist, states retain the right to establish the standards acceptable within their jurisdiction. Local organizations can exceed those minimums but not go below the requirements.

• Hazardous-Materials Incident Response
• Hazmat Responses Answered with Large and Small Rigs and Trailers
• Specialty PPE in Use at Hazardous Materials, ARFF, and Industrial Incidents
• The Challenges of Hazmat Responses
• Lessons Learned from Hazmat Training and Response
• Responding to a Hazmat Call

This could be an oversimplification but is intended to generate some discussion regarding the differences in approaches to responses to various incidents that occur within jurisdictions. We can start by looking at the typical makeup of firefighters. Generally, they are action oriented and conditioned to respond quickly, make decisions and acting at a moment’s notice, often without having all the information needed. Much of this is predicated on policies and procedures, standard operating guidelines, training, and experience. It often leads to a situation where emergencies are approache