FL Fire Police Officer Escapes Electrocution in Near Miss Incident
March 4, 2012, Deland FL. Fire Police Lt. Donald Johnson narrowly escaped injury after his Volusia County Fire Services Traffic Unit was struck by a live primary wire that energized the warning light system and started a small fire in a rear facing LED light inside the vehicle.
Lt. Johnson a veteran member of the Volusia County Fire and Rescue Servicesresponded to a report of wires down and arcing following a storm front that was moving through the state producing winds in excess of 40 miles per hour.
VCFS operates a number of Ford F150 pickup trucks with fiberglass caps as Traffic Units. Each unit is equipped with emergency lighting and traffic control devices including cones and signs. These units are assigned to fire department members who are classified as Fire Police Officers and are mainly responsible for traffic control and scene safety at fires and roadway incidents.
Dispatch received a call for downed wires in the general of FL SR 44 and W. Minnesota in Deland. The first arriving engine company had identified one high voltage line of 3 lying on the ground at the edge of the North Ridgewood Ave. The Engine Lt. instructed Fire Police Lt. Johnson to proceed with caution toward the downed line for the purpose of setting up a safety and traffic control zone at about 9:30 a.m. The weather was clear.
Lt. Johnson continued on Ridgewood Ave between Minnesota and SR 44 and noticed the coiled wire on the side of the street to his right. He immediately placed his vehicle in reverse and began backing away. Unknown to both Lt. Johnson and the engine company who had already canvassed the area, a section of the wire was hanging from the pole and was energized. Because this wire was close to the pole it was not readily visible.
As Lt. Johnson was backing the traffic unit away, a gust of wind caused the suspended wire to swing out into the roadway striking the right rear corner of the fiberglass cap near the rear back glass. The wire came in contact with a piece of metal trim at the upper right corner of the window.
The voltage arc jumped into an inside mounted rear facing LED warning light setting it on fire and immediately “frying” the emergency light system on the unit including the control box in the cab.
Fortunately the vehicle electrical system was not damaged and the engine did not shut down. Lt. Johnson instinctively pulled the vehicle forward away from the energized wire which broke the connection. The fire in the LED self-extinguished. Lt. Johnson was unhurt.
Lt. Johnson a former telephone lineman was acutely aware of the dangers associated with being in an energized vehicle. In addition he had received training in the fire department allowing him to make the correct decision to move off the wire and not to exit the vehicle.
This incident may have had a far different conclusion if the traffic unit had become disabled and the fire continued to burn.
Downed wires lying on the ground are recognized hazards. In this case a suspended wire long enough to come in contact with apparatus or a responder clearly could have had disastrous results.
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