Excerpts from nbcchicago.com:
Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida’s west coast Wednesday afternoon, turning streets into rivers, flooding building and homes, and leaving a destructive path in its wake.
In Naples, one of the hardest-hit areas by the Category 4 storm, the storm surge inundated a fire station, partly submerging fire trucks in several feet of water.
After leading a number of residents out of high water earlier Wednesday, firefighters with the Naples Fire-Rescue Department had to make one final rescue — their own. A video shows firefighters making a last ditch effort to save equipment from the rising flood waters. At one point, the fire chief notes that one of the trucks started smoking and had it moved outside the station so that it wouldn’t burn down the building should it catch on fire. They waded through nearly 4 feet of water to remove equipment and items from inside the trucks. The station lost several vehicles due to the storm.
thanks Rob
#1 by MABAS 21 on October 1, 2022 - 10:51 AM
That’s not the issue Harry. Agreed 100% Dan. Keeping your expensive frontline apparatus in firehouses in the direct path of a hurricane while being well aware that the flood waters from the storm surges will destroy them is unexcusable and totally preventable.
From my past experience from Hurricane Katrina, I am aware of numerous departments who acted proactively based on the forecasted storm surges/flooding and moved their frontline apparatus out of their stations to storage in higher land well away from the storm track to prevent unnecessary damage from salt water and raw sewage.
Naples FD leadership was well aware of the forecasted conditions well in advance prior to Hurricane Ian’s landfall. And from an operational standpoint, you’re going to be conducting evacuations, search and rescue and damage assessment from BOATS!
#2 by Harry on October 1, 2022 - 9:32 AM
Dan what if the cheif left the rig in the station and it burned down the station as for ruining the rigs and maybe damaging the station I think he tried to do the right thing
#3 by Dan on September 30, 2022 - 11:30 PM
My guess, the fire chief will be looking for a new job soon
Totally inexcusable.