Report Number: 05-0000174
Report Date: 05/27/2005
Event Description
While enroute to a working auto extrication, the brakes failed on a large single axle rescue squad while attempting to make a left turn onto a heavily traveled roadway. As the operator, I had overheated the brakes while slowing for a previous red traffic light at the base of a hill. As I approached the next intersection, I had downshifted the automatic transmission to 2nd. gear, and applied the brakes. The rescue squad was traveling about 25-30 miles per hour. I immediately realized that I had no brakes and advised the officer of the same. The road that I was traveling came to a dead end at this intersection.
I turned to the left and felt the truck begin to lean to the right. The truck then rolled up on the right side tires. I steered slightly to the right and the truck started to right itself. However by steering to the right, we were now on a collision course with a utility pole and the guardrail. As if in slow motion, I turned slightly left again which caused the truck to roll back to the right on two wheels again, but missed both objects in our path. With the right side tires approaching the soft shoulder, the truck slowly rolled back to the left and landed on all six wheels. After checking with the officer on any possible injuries to him, we then communicated with the 2 firefighters in the crew cab via the intercom, and found they too were uninjured. The weather was sunny, and road conditions were dry.
Lesson Learned
1. KNOW the limitations of your equipment. I knew that this particular vehicle, which was not overloaded, but is close on its gross vehicle weight, could potentially have a brake problem if you were "hard" on the brakes several times without allowing any cooling off time.
2. Most importantly, REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIVES OF YOUR CREW AND OF THE MOTORISTS AROUND YOU!!!!! No rescue call is worth risking the lives of your crew and what good can you do if you don't arrive on the scene?
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