Post by Bob on May 24, 2006 10:26:36 GMT -5
Saw this today on eyewitnessnews5channelcincinnati.com
Cincinnati's Fire Boats To Stay Dry Over Holiday Weekend
POSTED: 7:52 am EDT May 24, 2006
UPDATED: 8:24 am EDT May 24, 2006
CINCINNATI -- While the Ohio River will teem with jet skis and ski boats this busy Memorial weekend, the Cincinnati Fire Department's emergency response boats will remain locked in a garage.
Target 5 has learned that the department's two boats, one for rescue and one for fighting fires, were pulled out of service after firefighters complained about the lack of safety equipment and training.
"Any time you lose a resource -- a pumper or an ambulance for whatever reason -- yeah, it's felt," said Kenneth Knipper, a spokesman for Campbell County Emergency Management.
A spokesman for the firefighters' union issued this statement to Target 5 about the decision to dry dock the emergency response boats: "Members assigned to the boat had safety concerns about how the boat is equipped and how members who staff it are trained. Those issues were brought to the chief and he's looking into it and checking with other cities to look at their protocol."
Knipper told Target 5 he was not aware of any plans to put the boats back into the water anytime soon.
He said that means fewer boats to respond to emergency situations on the river.
"This is a very busy time on the river," said Knipper. "In the case of a major disaster -- if you really had something really big -- yeah, you'd feel it if you were light a unit."
Copyright 2006 by ChannelCincinnati.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Cincinnati's Fire Boats To Stay Dry Over Holiday Weekend
POSTED: 7:52 am EDT May 24, 2006
UPDATED: 8:24 am EDT May 24, 2006
CINCINNATI -- While the Ohio River will teem with jet skis and ski boats this busy Memorial weekend, the Cincinnati Fire Department's emergency response boats will remain locked in a garage.
Target 5 has learned that the department's two boats, one for rescue and one for fighting fires, were pulled out of service after firefighters complained about the lack of safety equipment and training.
"Any time you lose a resource -- a pumper or an ambulance for whatever reason -- yeah, it's felt," said Kenneth Knipper, a spokesman for Campbell County Emergency Management.
A spokesman for the firefighters' union issued this statement to Target 5 about the decision to dry dock the emergency response boats: "Members assigned to the boat had safety concerns about how the boat is equipped and how members who staff it are trained. Those issues were brought to the chief and he's looking into it and checking with other cities to look at their protocol."
Knipper told Target 5 he was not aware of any plans to put the boats back into the water anytime soon.
He said that means fewer boats to respond to emergency situations on the river.
"This is a very busy time on the river," said Knipper. "In the case of a major disaster -- if you really had something really big -- yeah, you'd feel it if you were light a unit."
Copyright 2006 by ChannelCincinnati.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.