Zanesville Fire Department battles with winter conditions

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- People are advised to stay off the roads and in their house as much as possible during a winter storm. But, emergency personally such as the Zanesville Fire Department always needs to be ready to respond.

If there is a house in flames, in this weather, firefighters won’t only have to fight the fire they also have to fight the poor driving conditions along the way. Firefighter paramedic Matt Salmons said they will drive slower than usual to ensure safety. Also, the tires have chains on for extra traction.

“Here, at the station, we always ensure that the pads are cleared. Just try to keep ahead of things, give us a better response. Hoods glove, stuff gets wet, cold we need to have that extra stuff because we might be on back to back calls. Need to be prepared, so we always carry that stuff with us in the truck,” said Salmons.

Salmons said the weight and size of a fire truck can help out on the roads but, it can also create a few problems along the way.

“Heavier weight also does give you more traction but, if you get into an issue it’s a larger truck. Once you’re in an issue it’s harder to get out with that bigger vehicle,” said Salmons.

If a firetruck, or other vehicle, would happen to get stuck there are tow truck companies with tows big enough, in Zanesville, to drag the truck out.