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Post by voyager9 on Jan 10, 2008 9:30:11 GMT -5
For those of us that have home-response to the station or direct to the scene here is a reminder for everyone to slow down and not drive like a jackhole in the process: From: cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=57838§ionId=46
Missouri Firefighter Gets Prison in Fatal Crash
AVA, Mo.-- Dominic Gillen of Seymour received a three-year prison sentence on Tuesday for a fatal traffic accident on Nov. 25, 2006. Gillen pleaded guilty last July for voluntary manslaughter for the death of Jacob Yeates, 17.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol estimates Gillen was speeding at 84mph and passed a family of four in a no-passing zone on a blind hill on Missouri 76. His car hit head-on a car driven by Yeates, a junior at Ava High School. Gillen, a volunteer firefighter for the Goodhope Fire Department, was heading to a brush fire in a personal vehicle with no lights or siren. He received minor injuries in the crash.
The three-year sentence is what Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Wade recommended. At the sentencing hearing, Yeates' mother gave a victim impact statement and urged the judge not to grant probation. Circuit Judge John Moody gave Gillen a week to get his affairs together before he has to begin his prison sentence.
If its a reduced speed for your station, it should be a reduced speed for you to get to the station. |
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Post by papacheese on Jan 11, 2008 6:16:28 GMT -5
I saw that yesterday and forwarded to all my members as a reminder that the world around us has changed and quite frankly, doesn't give a damn if you're a firefighter or not...it won't mean a thing when judgement time rolls around.
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Post by voyager9 on Jan 11, 2008 7:45:58 GMT -5
Being a firefighter does not excuse bad and aggressive driving. I have a hard time justifying passing a car on a blind hill at that speed for a brush fire. From the sound of it he was a Junior member as well! Juniors shouldn't be driving like that for ANY call. Litigious world or not that's not a good idea. We need to gauge our POV responses like we do our apparatus responses.
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riverlinetk
Division Supervisor 
Training Aide
Posts: 49
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Post by riverlinetk on Jan 11, 2008 9:22:15 GMT -5
If you can't get to the firehouse safely and then get the crew to the scene safely we are no good and only our own worst enemies anyway.
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ENG27SQ
Division Supervisor
MS Paint Guru
Posts: 653
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Post by ENG27SQ on Jan 11, 2008 11:03:08 GMT -5
Here we go again. People, we need to slow down. If the house is burning, an extra couple of seconds, maybe in minutes isn't going to make the fire somehow poof away. It's still going to be there when we get there, as long as we slow down, get on the truck, get there alive so we go home alive.
Don't get me wrong, we hear all companies in service and the adrenaline gets going, we all wanna be 1st due, get in that house and dirty up the gear and go face to face with the beast. But whether your 1st do or 10th due, if the fires there, your still going to get there alive if you drive safely. Sure, you'll probably get jeered for being 10th due, or whatever time you arrive but who cares, you just tell'em "Hey, we got here a live, thats all that matters." And thats that.
I've been hearing from a lot of people that the state wants to make FF/EMTs red/blue light permissible. Any truth to that? Cause I know that's just gonna make things worse....blue lights are bad enough now. Yes, my trucks lit up like a Christmas tree but I drive with regard for other drivers.
SLOW DOWN!
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Post by Genesis 1 1 on Jan 11, 2008 11:41:19 GMT -5
Always a shame to hear of that kind of incident. I wonder how the public veiws the fire dept. in that town since the accident? I cant imagine driving 84 mph on a hill at a blind curve. Its amazing he was not killed also.
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Post by PtFireGuy on Jan 11, 2008 22:49:31 GMT -5
Kieth I havent heard anything about firefighters having red lights, but i did read that its on the state floor to have a bill passed to allow fire police to respond with red lights. Its been in question for a while now though.
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Post by thelurker on Jan 12, 2008 11:14:12 GMT -5
great now all you tragically wackerish fools will be joining fire police
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Post by kgimeno on Jan 16, 2008 10:16:14 GMT -5
You know, about ten years ago the state had a bill on the floor to allow volunteer firefighters wiht blue light to be able to disregard traffic laws. It was well intended but a bad idea. The fact is whether you're in your truck or in your POV with a light, you still must drive with all due regard to the safety of the public and all laws. And, as was said many times here, what good are you if you never get to the firehouse. A wise chief once said, "There will be plenty of fire for everyone." If you're injured or killed while responding to the station or to a call, you not only affect your life but the lives of the entire fire department.
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