Texas interstates are very scary on a clear day with your car moving at the flow of traffic speeds. Add weather on top of that and it will get scary very fast. I can't even imagine what the fire fighters and EMTs deal with. They need to add some strap on crash water barrels to the sides of the old "Blocking Vehicle" to help it survive the crash when it comes. And it Will Come!
Yes, those studies are out there. I think more important is flash rate. All these strobes are very disorienting at the scene. Personally, I think large slower flashing light would be more effective once on the scene.
If we creat a law you hit one your car and license are gone for a couple of years.there is no excuse or exception if you hit an emergency vehicle that is parked.
The firefighters & medics working on the accident will be protected by their own fire truck(s) parked near the scene. The blocker is positioned farther away from the accident scene & will have wheel chocks in use. There will likely also be at least one police vehicle even farther out with its own emergency lights & a traffic advisor. First Responders are trained how to handle highway incidents & the layout of response vehicles on highways is pretty standard, at least when everyone does what they're supposed to do.
@@jaredharris1970 It's possible, but they will be slowed down somewhat each thing they hit. I was trained to always have an escape path & to know where to run to if there's a vehicle coming at me. If the emergency vehicles were hit, there would be more police, firefighters, & ambulances called into the scene to assist. If you have to stop on the side of the road please use these suggestions. Keep your car running, make sure your parking lights and hazard lights are on, keep your foot lightly on the brake pedal if youre staying inside (so the extra lights are on) and pull as far away from the road as possible.
People too drunk or stoned out of their minds, on their phones texting, or both. More common in the younger drivers, but there are heavily distracted drivers in all ages who just don't pay attention to life on the road, even with flashing lights.
Staffing is the highest cost to any fire department, not equipment. Even if it is staffed by only one person per shift x3 shifts = $300,000 to $400,000 per year for just one blocker truck. And with just one, it won't even be able to respond to every freeway accident ie: multiple accidents in multiple locations simultaneously. I'm not saying it's a bad idea. But it's not an inexpensive fix-all solution. If it succeeds as a pilot program and is expanded to 3-4 blocker trucks you're talking a million dollars a year or more just in salaries. Add in rollup expenses (health plan, retirement, etc.) now you're probably over $2M/yr.
well the truck will almost certainly be cross-staffed, so they won’t be paying for an extra firefighter specifically to be on that rig, but instead a firefighter who is assigned to another truck (probably a 4-man engine or a command car like a battalion chief’s assistant) will just hop on if the need arises, and then continue work with their original company on scene as this truck doesn’t need to be attended on scene.
But wait... we have that in Switzerland! ... It's called a fire engine, you just have to park it correctly... But I've never heard of a collision between a stationary emergency vehicle anyway and a car in Switzerland, maybe it's because we have a demanding driving license, I'm saying that, I'm saying nothing...
No shit... They already use regular fire trucks as blockers the problem is that new modern fire truck is a million dollars and that old retired piece of shit is otherwise worth a couple grand at auction... They would rather have an otherwise worthless truck get hit rather than a million dollar brand new truck that they heavily rely on.
@@littlehippo5004 For being a little bit more serious, blockers are probably a great idea in the US, but not in Switzerland, cause here the driving liscence is really demanding, and highway system is able to close a lane with electronic panel, if there is a car crash, all lane concerned will be claused, panel above the highway will inform drivers than a crash happened and radio will informed drivers too, the police will respond to the call and install "tri-opans" (don't know how it is called in english, it's a deployable triangular panel to put on the side of the road) and park their car before the crash and will display (police cars have a screen a the back here) than a crash happened, all of that together will made the possibility of an impact so small than if you had than fire engine are partially paid by cantonal organisation (canton=state), it will be cheaper, more ecological and emergency response faster to pay for changing or repair 1 or 2 fire truck (but again, I never heard about a crash between a car and a fire engine stopped on the highway) than paid fuel for another fire engine. The problem isn't than US departement use blockers, it's than they need to use blockers.
@@suisseanonyme1033 all excellent points, Swiss drivers are undoubtedly, much more capable than American drivers, although not quite as disciplined as German drivers, for example. I have been relatively impressed what I have seen in my time living there.
You do realize they only invested so much money that was already on its way out. So it gets smacked by a car. Where's the loss? The biggest loss would be in the light package they equipped the truck with.
I love how they are solving a major issue without a major price tag. Koodos to the genious that thought this up.
Might as well make it a Roach Coach for Snacks too
Joking aside, you could put some extra rehab supplies on it.
they need that type of engine here in maryland
Great job. I would like to see Joshua and briar oaks to do that too. Great way to keep a rig around
It's a battle wagon 🚒
Texas interstates are very scary on a clear day with your car moving at the flow of traffic speeds. Add weather on top of that and it will get scary very fast. I can't even imagine what the fire fighters and EMTs deal with. They need to add some strap on crash water barrels to the sides of the old "Blocking Vehicle" to help it survive the crash when it comes. And it Will Come!
Has there been any recent(ish) studies regarding the use of all red emergency lighting vs either all blue or half red/half blue?
Yes, those studies are out there. I think more important is flash rate. All these strobes are very disorienting at the scene. Personally, I think large slower flashing light would be more effective once on the scene.
Couple years back California high way arrested a crew for blocking traffic now look at TX leading the way
Tejus is not leading anything but the highest rated shit hole.
Yup, I remember that. That CHP officer had a bad day & he dragged that one fire engineer down with him….. Not a good call on that day.
It has happened in several states, not just Cali.
If we creat a law you hit one your car and license are gone for a couple of years.there is no excuse or exception if you hit an emergency vehicle that is parked.
Oh, gosh really? You have never made a mistake?
Ok so what if a semi hits the blocker and pushes the blocker into the first responders
The firefighters & medics working on the accident will be protected by their own fire truck(s) parked near the scene. The blocker is positioned farther away from the accident scene & will have wheel chocks in use. There will likely also be at least one police vehicle even farther out with its own emergency lights & a traffic advisor.
First Responders are trained how to handle highway incidents & the layout of response vehicles on highways is pretty standard, at least when everyone does what they're supposed to do.
@@ml9867 I was just wondering what if someone still gets through with all the preventative measures in place
@@jaredharris1970 It's possible, but they will be slowed down somewhat each thing they hit. I was trained to always have an escape path & to know where to run to if there's a vehicle coming at me. If the emergency vehicles were hit, there would be more police, firefighters, & ambulances called into the scene to assist.
If you have to stop on the side of the road please use these suggestions. Keep your car running, make sure your parking lights and hazard lights are on, keep your foot lightly on the brake pedal if youre staying inside (so the extra lights are on) and pull as far away from the road as possible.
What happened to Truck 19 after major crash?
19s got new rigs all round.
@@bengarcia9612 Nope.
@@Katchi_ Ok, then what happened to it?
How in actual F do you not see the flashing red lights???????
People too drunk or stoned out of their minds, on their phones texting, or both. More common in the younger drivers, but there are heavily distracted drivers in all ages who just don't pay attention to life on the road, even with flashing lights.
Staffing is the highest cost to any fire department, not equipment. Even if it is staffed by only one person per shift x3 shifts = $300,000 to $400,000 per year for just one blocker truck.
And with just one, it won't even be able to respond to every freeway accident ie: multiple accidents in multiple locations simultaneously.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea. But it's not an inexpensive fix-all solution. If it succeeds as a pilot program and is expanded to 3-4 blocker trucks you're talking a million dollars a year or more just in salaries. Add in rollup expenses (health plan, retirement, etc.) now you're probably over $2M/yr.
well the truck will almost certainly be cross-staffed, so they won’t be paying for an extra firefighter specifically to be on that rig, but instead a firefighter who is assigned to another truck (probably a 4-man engine or a command car like a battalion chief’s assistant) will just hop on if the need arises, and then continue work with their original company on scene as this truck doesn’t need to be attended on scene.
What departments have salaries that high aside from a chief for fdny?
$100K a year? Where is that fire department? Beverly Hills? I don't buy your math.
@@Caderic my Local Department is $96k for Firefighter I Pay Grade.
Why does the reporter look like he's from who ville
But wait... we have that in Switzerland!
... It's called a fire engine, you just have to park it correctly...
But I've never heard of a collision between a stationary emergency vehicle anyway and a car in Switzerland, maybe it's because we have a demanding driving license, I'm saying that, I'm saying nothing...
No shit... They already use regular fire trucks as blockers the problem is that new modern fire truck is a million dollars and that old retired piece of shit is otherwise worth a couple grand at auction... They would rather have an otherwise worthless truck get hit rather than a million dollar brand new truck that they heavily rely on.
yeah cause swiss fire vehicles are cheap and free... oh wait they aren't and the blocker is a great solution
@@littlehippo5004 For being a little bit more serious, blockers are probably a great idea in the US, but not in Switzerland, cause here the driving liscence is really demanding, and highway system is able to close a lane with electronic panel, if there is a car crash, all lane concerned will be claused, panel above the highway will inform drivers than a crash happened and radio will informed drivers too, the police will respond to the call and install "tri-opans" (don't know how it is called in english, it's a deployable triangular panel to put on the side of the road) and park their car before the crash and will display (police cars have a screen a the back here) than a crash happened, all of that together will made the possibility of an impact so small than if you had than fire engine are partially paid by cantonal organisation (canton=state), it will be cheaper, more ecological and emergency response faster to pay for changing or repair 1 or 2 fire truck (but again, I never heard about a crash between a car and a fire engine stopped on the highway) than paid fuel for another fire engine.
The problem isn't than US departement use blockers, it's than they need to use blockers.
@@suisseanonyme1033 all excellent points, Swiss drivers are undoubtedly, much more capable than American drivers, although not quite as disciplined as German drivers, for example. I have been relatively impressed what I have seen in my time living there.
Texas wastes bottomless amounts of money on car dependency
You do realize they only invested so much money that was already on its way out. So it gets smacked by a car. Where's the loss? The biggest loss would be in the light package they equipped the truck with.
Please explain!