Washington Ladder Truck Attacked and Damaged

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A large rock was hurled into the driver's-side windshield of a ladder truck in Vancouver, Washington as it returned from a call early Saturday morning, according to the Vancouver Columbian. The impact caved in part of the windshield of the Vancouver Fire Department's truck.

Fire department spokesman Jim Flaherty told the paper all four firefighters onboard escaped injury. "The reality of it is, if had it gone a foot either way and if something happened to the driver, then we'd have gotten into a vehicle control issue," Flaherty told the newspaper. "An out-of-control or incapacitated driver of a ladder truck is going to have a bad result for the other people inside and whatever else the multi-ton ladder truck comes into contact with, whether it's another vehicle or a building."

"The driver did a heck of a job getting it stopped safely," Flaherty said to the paper. He also said the truck will be out of service until it can be repaired. The department already has a reserve ladder truck out of service, leaving the city with only one working ladder truck.

Flaherty said to the Columbian the incident was "extremely stupid and extremely dangerous."

"We believe somebody knows something about this," Flaherty told the newspaper. "Now, with all of the east side of the community without a ladder truck, we're looking for somebody to really step up."

None of the firefighters in the apparatus saw who threw the 2-3 pound rock. The Vancouver Police Department is investigating the incident.


Author:Barbara Brooks - FDNNTV.com