Slow and Steady: How local firefighters train to drive on flooded roads

Flooded roadways pose additional challenges for fire trucks, as they navigate floodwaters to respond to calls.

• A firetruck's weight can make it harder to manage in heavy roads, especially when turning.
• Franklin Volunteer Fire Department says they doesn't usually have water rescues, but they have to get through flooded roadways to respond to calls.
• Firefighters say slow is the best way to go but encourage drivers not to take chances on the road.

Broadcast Script:

“It's kind of intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a lot of fun to do.”

Rain or shine, the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department is ready to serve the community. But to do that, they need to be properly trained.

“These vehicles are very heavy, but that doesn't mean they're impervious to sliding, or even hydroplaning off the roadway,” said Assistant Fire Chief, Tyler Aaron.

In addition to learning to drive the trucks, driving them on flooded roads, is a different beast.

“With the weight you have to remember that as you're driving it and on water it can skid a little bit easier, especially when turning hard and fast — so you definitely make sure you're keeping your speeds low and taking your time,” said firefighter, Rebecca Jordan.

Assistant Fire Chief Tyler Aaron says the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department doesn't usually do water rescues, but they have to get through flooded roadways to respond to calls.

“We've had situations in the past we ended up driving our bigger apparatus through flooded areas where we've taken it very slow and we've gotten out measure how deep the water was.”

Even as the flooding subsides, their work continues.

“A bigger thing we focus on is downed trees, downed power lines, in flooding conditions, such as we've been having — we'll make sure our chainsaws are good to go, to be able to quickly handle any downed power lines or electrical issues that may arise."