Snow Keeps Emergency Crews Busy
With the approaching snow storm Friday evening, several New Martinsville Fire Fighters gathered to install tire chains on the apparatus so that they would be prepared to respond to emergencies once the storm arrived. “The tire chains come off a lot easier and faster than they go on, so we try to get them on ahead of any winter storm,” said Fire Chief Larry Couch. “If it doesn’t snow, sleet, ice, or what it is supposed to do, we can drop the chains off in about 30-seconds in the event of a call.” He said it really doesn’t matter to the public what the weather is, when they call with an emergency the department is expected to be to that emergency in a reasonable period of time. He added that it is a reasonable expectation.
The NMVFD received a total of eight emergency calls during the 24-hour period beginning at approximately 11:30 p.m. Friday evening when they were called to Box 104, Doolin Run Road, for a motor vehicle crash. The next call did not come until 1:17 p.m. Saturday when the NMVFD was dispatched to assist the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Department and Paden City VFC at a motor vehicle crash of Cider Run. At 5:05 p.m. Saturday fire units were dispatched to check on residents at HC 61 Boxes 44, 45, and 46 (state Route 7) who had been without electricity for an extended period of time. Then at 5:32 p.m. Saturday firefighters responded to a report of vehicles stuck on the hill near the water tower on Doolin Run Road. Just five minutes later firefighters were advised of a crash on Doolin Run Road near the bridge and at 5:42 p.m. another call of a crash on the hill near the water tower was reported.
“We closed Doolin Run for approximately one hour while wrecker trucks removed the vehicles and West Virginia Division of Highways crews plowed and salted the road,” said Couch.
At 9:51 p.m. the NMVFD responded its ambulance to 1107 Fourth Street and transported a medical patient to Wetzel County Hospital and then at 10:23 p.m. the department responded to a report of utility lines and trees down on Doolin Run Road near Box 120.
“Once in a while we get caught off-guard and may have to apply the chains in a hurry, but that hasn’t happened in a long time,” Couch said.