| |
In October, the state Division of
Highways reduced the weight limit on the bridge leading into the
community to five tons.
The rescue truck used by the Pratt
Volunteer Fire Department weighs 17 tons. The fire engine weighs 14
tons.
That math is alarming to Kanawha
County officials.
"It puts these folks in jeopardy and
it needs to be fixed," County Commissioner Kent Carper said of the
bridge.
The aging bridge is on Kanawha County
83, which turns off Paint Creek Road and is the
only access route to Holley Grove, an eastern Kanawha County community
of about 40 homes.
Pratt Fire Chief Tim Walker called
Carper about the bridge, and the two started working on an alternative
plan.
The county bought a 175-gallon tank
and pump on skids to put in the back of the firefighters' utility
pick-up truck, which previously was used just to haul equipment and
additional volunteers to emergency scenes.
The utility truck, with the addition
of the pump and tank, comes in at just about 5 tons, said Lt. Mike
Edwards, a volunteer since 1987.
It's a stopgap measure. Officials
still aren't entirely pleased with it.
"The portable pump as of now gives
them some ability, but it's still not a good situation. These folks
are unjustly exposed to danger because of the neglect of taking care
of the bridge," Carper said.
Normally, Pratt's 17-ton rescue truck
is the first vehicle to roll out of the garage when an emergency call
comes in. It hauls important equipment such as air packs and extra
hoses.
If there's an emergency in Holley
Grove, the rescue truck would have to stay on the other side of the
bridge.
The pickup truck with the water tank
would help, but because it is rarely used as the main emergency
vehicle, it has to be loaded with equipment, robbing the department of
precious time, Edwards said. It's also not as spacious as the trucks
the department normally uses.
|
|
