Veteran California Firefighter Broke Vertebra in Tanker Crash

A 77-year-old Madera County paid-call volunteer firefighter, who suffered a fractured neck vertebra Saturday during an accident, was expected to be released Monday from a Fresno hospital.

The injury occurred when a water-tender truck en route to a vegetation fire collided with a car.

Cal Fire Division Chief Roscoe Rowney wouldn't name the injured volunteer, but said he had been "around for a long time."

"Basically, we don't have an age limit ... if you're physically capable of doing the job," Rowney said. "This man is in very good physical condition."

Cal Fire trains Madera County's volunteers. Some 190 are available for fire calls. The county equips them and pays them for fire and traffic accident responses.

Cal Fire professional firefighters take physicals every two years, but volunteers only take a physical when they begin the job. Physicals also can be required of volunteers if a Cal Fire supervisor sees a need, Rowney said.

The driver of the water tender, a 52-year-old volunteer firefighter from Chowchilla, also was injured when the 26-ton 1990 Freightliner, with 4,000 gallons of water aboard, slammed into a 1992 Honda at 7 p.m. Saturday at the rural intersection of Avenue 21 and Road 26 northeast of Madera.

She was released Saturday night from Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. The driver and passenger in the Honda also were released.

The two firefighters were trapped in the cab of the water tender, which rolled over into an orchard after the collision. The Honda occupants were taken to the hospital after complaining of pain, the California Highway Patrol said.

The Honda, traveling westbound on Avenue 21, apparently ran a stop sign, driving into the path of the oncoming water tender, which was operating with red lights and sirens. The air horn on the fire apparatus also was sounded, the CHP said.

The CHP report didn't name any of the four people injured in the accident. CHP Madera County commander Lt. Dave Paris said Monday the officers who investigated the crash were in training. Records showed "primary fault" on the Honda, but the accident still was under investigation, Paris said.

A Cal Fire Serio`us Accident Review Team also will investigate, checking training records of the water tender driver and maintenance records on the vehicle itself. The team will seek to learn what happened and how to avoid such accidents in the future, Rowney said.

How about the 77-year-old injured volunteer's return to firefighting?

"He's debating at this point, but I'd love to have him back," Rowney said.

The reporter can be reached at cmccarthy@fresnobee.com or (559) 675-6804.

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