UPDATED at 11:50 a.m. Aug. 13, 2021 with comments from Chief Brandon Cardwell.
BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS OWNER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BART MERCER
Editor’s Note: There is truly a brotherhood and sisterhood among first responders. Elmore Chief Brandon Cardwell updated us to add that in the aftermath of the wreck last night, Holtville Fire Department came and stood by and helped Elmore Fire Dept. remove equipment. Deatsville and Coosada fire departments both came by and checked the crew. Every fire chief in the county, and many across the state, has called to check on the crew. Haynes Ambulance sent their flight crew in an ambulance just to help when they were unable to fly.
Five Elmore Fire Department members sustained injuries Thursday night when the pumper truck they were in left the roadway and nosedived into a ditch. But officials say it could have been far worse, and thanks to seat belts and safety equipment, all will recover.
Art Faulkner serves on the Administrative Board for the Elmore Fire Department, and said the individuals involved are extremely fortunate.
There were several different injuries to individuals, but none appear to have been life-threatening.
Elmore Fire Department personnel had been assisting the Holtville Fire Department for mutual aid after two lightning strikes hit homes in the Slapout/Holtville area Thursday night.
According to Art Faulkner, around 9 p.m. the crew was returning from assisting Holtville Fire Department and traveling near the Elmore Correctional Facility on Ceasarville Road. The truck veered off the road into a field adjacent to Ceasarville Road. The pumper truck took a nose dive into the dirt, burying the front about five feet deep.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, and could include a blowout of one of the front tires. The right front tire is completely shredded, Faulkner said. It does not appear at this time that the accident was caused by operator error.
“Five guys were transported to the emergency room, but we are very fortunate that the injuries were not more severe,” Bart Mercer said. Mercer also serves on the Administrative Board for the Elmore Fire Department.
This morning, officials are grateful and stressed a truck can be repaired. Human lives are far more valuable.
Responding to the accident were Haynes Ambulance, Elmore County Sheriff’s Department and ALEA Troopers.
UPDATED INFORMATION:
Elmore Fire Department Chief Brandon Cardwell had just arrived back at his station when he heard the call for help.
“I had been ahead of (the pumper truck) and had just got back to the station. I heard an officer on the truck over the radio ask for an ambulance. I went back to the scene and found them. It was just them there at that point, still in the truck. We had to assist them out of the vehicle.”
All five were transported to Baptist South’s emergency room where as of early this morning they had all been treated and released.
The truck was down a steep embankment in a ditch between Marion Spillway and Hwy. 143 on Ceasarville Road.
Cardwell confirmed that it appears a right front tire blew, and the vehicle lost control. Speed was not a factor in the accident, he said. “We were through with the call. They were not running at high speed or with lights and sirens. This truck weighs around 74,000 pounds with the equipment and it carries 1,800 gallons of water as well. It doesn’t just stop on a dime.”
Preventive maintenance on the 1997 vehicle is documented, and Cardwell said tires have been replaced on this vehicle as well as others in the fleet. “Sometimes things just happen…and this is one of them. I am just so thankful that everyone is going to be OK.”
But he admits that with differing recovery times, it may put his small department in a challenging situation for future calls. As for the truck, the final word has not been spoken, but he believes it could be a total loss.
“Experts will be looking at the damage, so we are not sure yet. But I believe the frame could be bent, and the expense would be incredible. The cab sustained tremendous damage. We will know more about that later,” Cardwell said. The department is insured for such accidents.
ISO requirements mean the Elmore Fire Department does have a second Pumper Truck available for future calls. But a second truck is required so that will have to be addressed in the near future.
The truck was purchased used in 2014 and was refurbished for use by the Elmore Fire Department.
See more photos below:
