BLACK JACK, Mo. – Three firefighters from the Black Jack Fire Protection District are recovering after a rollover crash Tuesday evening on their way to a house fire.
The crash happened just before 9 p.m. at the intersection of Old Halls Ferry Road and Country Club Court, about a mile away from Black Jack Fire Protection District Engine House 1.
Deputy Fire Chief Paul Peebles said a car pulled out in front of the pumper truck. The driver of the pumper truck swerved in an effort to avoid hitting the car. The truck left the roadway and overturned.
“Our main mission is to serve our residents and make sure we keep them safe. It’s important that when we have lights and sirens going, people move over to the right,” Peebles said. “We do that for a reason. We’re trying to get there to save people.”
The firefighters were taken to a local hospital for their injuries, which were not life-threatening.
“Very stressful, difficult job. It can be a fire that you get hurt on, it can be a vehicle accident. In today’s world, you can get hurt anywhere, working on the side of the highway is very dangerous,” Peebles said. “So, we just ask people that they remain vigilant on looking out for any type of workers, whether it be firefighters, police, EMS, even your construction workers.”
Officials say where emergency responders like police officers, firefighters, and paramedics are responding to a 911 call, they need to arrive at the scene as quickly as possible, and other vehicles must get out of their way so they can speed by and help those in need.
“We try and take up the left lane, so people can move over to the right, so they can move over to the curb. It doesn’t work that way all the time,” Peebles said. “It depends on traffic, so we just ask that when people see us in the rearview mirror, and we got the lights and the sirens on, and we’re blowing, we’re just trying to make a pathway, so we can get to someone that that is calling for 911.”