Drivers reminder

[Guest]

Good reminder with snow and Ice on the way. The driver really has more of a major roll then the officer if you ask me.

California Firefighter Charged with Vehicular Manslaughter

City News Service

A firefighter who was driving a fire engine that crashed, killing another firefighter, will be arraigned next month on a charge of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, the District Attorney's Office said today.

Riverside County Fire Department engineer Michael Lawrence Arizaga, 47, of Hemet, was charged Aug. 4 with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. He is to be arraigned Sept. 12 in Banning Superior Court.

Firefighter Christopher Matthew Kanton, 24, of Temecula, was killed on Aug. 6, 2005, when firefighters responded to a storm call in Beaumont.

Arizaga was driving the fire engine Kanton was on when it hydroplaned in wet weather on the eastbound Interstate 10, near the Highway 60 interchange, slid down an embankment and overturned.

Authorities allege Arizaga was driving at an unsafe speed and "failed to turn off the Jacobs engine brake," a braking system mounted on diesel engines of large commercial vehicles that creates engine drag to allow vehicles to travel downhill without overusing the brakes.

The system can be turned off and is not generally used on level roads, such as the stretch of Interstate 10 in the Banning area.

"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further on any details regarding this legal action or on any personnel issue regarding this matter," fire Capt. Julie Hutchinson said in a prepared statement. "CDF and the Riverside County Fire Department will continue to cooperate fully with all law enforcement agencies in their investigations, as well as protect the rights of our employees.

Riverside County contracts with the California Department of Forestry for fire services and is operated as the Riverside County Fire Department.

Hutchinson said that Arizaga is on paid administrative leave.

Misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter is a charge filed against people suspected of accidentally causing a death without malice and without gross negligence.

Arizaga could face up to a year in the county jail if convicted of the charge.

He is free on $7,500 bail.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Apparatus operators being held responsible for their actions behind the wheel is a growing trend. This is I believe the 3rd firefighter charged in the US this year. Another was in Ohio about the same time as these charges were filed and there was also one earlier in 2006. I include these with my other handouts when I teach EVOC. It will be only a matter of time before other prosecutors start doing this.

Thanks for a very vital sharing of information on this board.

[res6cue 67]

Maybe it's just me, but what does the Jake Brake have to do with hydroplaning? Skidding, yes...hydroplaning, no. I'd also like to know what year and make the rig he was driving was, as most modern rigs with ABS have the Jake Brake or other retarder system interfaced with a traction control system so that any detected wheel slippage SHOULD disengage the retarder automatically to help prevent skidding.

Whatever the case though, I agree...as drivers we DO have a MAJOR responsibility. We're of no value if we can't get ourselves to the scene safely, or safely back to quarters. Our responsibility to protect the public also extends to how we operate on the roads, a fact I think some might lose sight of.

[DOC22 1]

Apparatus operators being held responsible for their actions behind the wheel is a growing trend.  This is I believe the 3rd firefighter charged in the US this year.  Another was in Ohio about the same time as these charges were filed and there was also one earlier in 2006.  I include these with my other handouts when I teach EVOC.  It will be only a matter of time before other prosecutors start doing this.

Thanks for a very vital sharing of information on this board.

←

Allow me to digress from the point of this thread to briefly point out the fact that this is a classic example of the importance of this entire board!

Good post alsfirefighter!

[gpdexplorer 46]

Dont forget not to drive piles of leaves!

[RescueKujo 130]

I think this one's going to come out entirely different from what some people think. In talking to a firefighter from the area familiar with what happened that day, here are some things besides the "jake brake" that may be determining factors...

1) In leaving their station in Moreno Valley on a cover assignment to Beaumont, it was not raining at that time. Just prior to the accident, the crew entered a downpour with limited visibility. The words to descibe it were "like parting a curtain and entering a waterfall".

2) The crew was in a nonenclosed backup engine. The firefighter who died was in the jumpseat (not sure if behind the Engineer or Captain).

I'm sure things will shake out. Unfortunately, I feel this is a result of 1) out litigous society and 2) our society's willingness to play up the victim role. People feel there has to be some way to make them feel better, but is this it?

I'm sorry folks, but sometimes no matter what you do, crap happens. It's a shame when it does, but the result is still the same.