Lexington County, SC 02/02/2022 (Paul Kirby) – Back in the early 1970s, when Lexington County was first getting into the business of providing countywide fire and EMS services for its citizens, things were much different. Many of the county’s first responders were volunteers and the equipment they used was often surplus military vehicles or other types of commercial equipment repurposed for emergencies. Up until the mid-1970s, the Chapin Fire Department used a Cadillac ambulance that looked like a large station wagon or hearse from a funeral home. In an emergency, the local mechanics, carpenters, brick layers, and accountants would quickly load you up and drive at top speed to the closest hospital, normally in Newberry.
Over the decades, times, and resources, have changed dramatically. Both ambulances and fire trucks have gotten far larger and more advanced. A modern Lexington County ambulance is a rolling emergency room. They carry lifesaving drugs and equipment for people who are suffering from heart attacks, strokes, terrible trauma, and much more. The percentage of patients that now live to arrive at a hospital is many times greater than in those old “Throw and Go” days.
Likewise, fire equipment has gotten far more advanced and capable. In the beginning there were two air packs per firetruck, and they were made of heavy steel. There was one walkie talkie per station, hoses were cotton with rubber lining, the couplings were heavy brass, and the strongest trucks Lexington County owned pumped 750 gallons of water a minute. A modern fire truck easly does twice that.
Tanker trucks were often converted fuel oil tankers. These were made to carry lighter petroleum and not water that weighs more than 8 pounds per gallon. That meant that when the fuel trucks were filled with water, brakes were overworked, suspension sometimes failed, and one stationed in Lexington could do a wheelie if you let the wrong man behind the steering wheel. This was because there was so much water in the tank space that sat behind the rear axle. Thanks goodness things have changed!
There are problems with the new ambulances and fire trucks, but in almost all cases, it’s caused by the person needing the help, not the equipment or highly skilled operators who respond when you dial 911. As the trucks have gotten higher tech, they’ve gotten larger and heavier. Meanwhile, some citizens in Lexington County have simply allowed access to their homes and property to diminish in size and fall into disrepair. All too often, dispatchers are hearing responders say they’ve had to dismount their equipment and hike up a long drive carrying what they can. This affects their ability to provide medical aid or worse yet, fight a fire. It saddens fire chiefs to hear that several million dollars’ worth of the latest and greatest fire equipment is sitting in the road while their crews are expending energy stretching long attack lines by having to add more and more hose to reach and begin fighting a fire. Just for your own knowledge, the fastest way to begin putting water on a fire is with what's called a preconnect attack line. These are loaded on the trucks to come off fast and usually, the longest preconnects are 300 feet. That gives firefighters room to get away from the fire truck and move around the burning fire freeely. Does your drive allow a fire truck to get close enough to your home to use one of these? If not, you should conisder some changes.
There are things you can do to make life easier on these professionals and your life safer too. First and foremost, you need to make sure first responders can find you. The correct house numbers displayed in the correct way is absolutely the best way to do this. If you live in a rural area where your home can’t be seen from the main road, this is even more important. The last thing you or anyone else wants is for the dispatcher who’s trying to help responders find your home to say, “It’s the one directly under the large column of black smoke!” And before you ask, that has happened on occasion.
According to officials with the Lexington County Fire Service and Lexington County’s EMS, house number or a lack there of, is the most common problem they run into. One official said, “Please make sure your address is posted clearly on your residence and at the roadway. Numbers shall not be less than 3-inches in height and shall be made of a durable and clearly visible material which is in a contrasting color to the building.” This rule also applies to your mailbox. Black or dark letters on a dark mailbox may look nice to you, but to first responders at night, they can be invisible.
On your home, again if it can be easily seen from the road, the numbers should be conspicuously placed immediately above, on, or at the side of the proper door (the one facing the street) of each building so that the number can be seen plainly from the street line. It doesn’t matter if you use your side door daily, putting your house’s number there is no good if it isn’t visible from the road.
Good Example of a Marked Driveway
Well Marked Mailbox
Whenever the residence is more than 50 feet from the street line, or when the numbers at the door are not clearly visible from the street line, the number must be placed near the walk (treated post work well here), the driveway, or common entrance to the building, and upon a mailbox, gatepost, fence or other appropriate place so as to be easily read from the street line. It also needs to be clearly marked on both sides; an EMS official pointed out. Remember color and size is key. The 3-inch height is a minimum. Don’t be afraid to go big and reflective isn’t gaudy, it’s safe!
As for driveways, a suggested width of a minimum of 12 feet wide and made of an all-weather surface is suggested to allow fire trucks and EMS units to access your residences. Most fire trucks and ambulances are now approximately 8 feet wide themselves. A 12-foot-wide drive leaves just two feet on each side for maneuvering. If your drive has sharp curves or bends, even wider is better. These trucks don’t bend in the middle even if your driveway does.
Well Maintained Driveway
Also, low hanging limbs should be trimmed to a minimum height of 14 feet to allow for larger trucks such as ladder apparatus and high-top vehicles to access your home. Limbs and sticks from the sides also need to be cleared away. Regular trimming is important. When you originally built, your drive may have met all these specifications but as years passed, things have grown back. Make sure to check the clearances each year. Tall grass can also be an issue in a drive. It can cover holes and ruts that can damage equipment or stop a truck in tracks.
Poorly Maintained Driveway
Because of the weight of emergency vehicles, some modern firetrucks weigh more than 40 tons, ensuring unpaved driveways, especially those with loose sandy soil, are regularly maintained is paramount. Regular grading or use of at least two inches of compactable material such as gravel, crushed stone, or crushed shell is essential. Please note that the county can not grade or do work to a drive or road that is privately owned. Keep that in mid when you are looking to buy.
Poorly Maintained Drive Surface
If your driveway is a long distance off the public road, consider making a pull off area or turn around for EMS trucks and fire trucks somewhere in the drive. You certainly don’t want the ambulance to have to back out when Uncle Joe sawed into his hand in the workshop! If you can’t make the turnaround in the drive, maintain enough room at the house to turnaround large apparatus. Make sure this is thought about with all your family’s vehicles in their normal parking spots. It may be clear to turn around with mom’s car home dring the day, but at night, when dad and all the teens are there, you don’t want to have to jockey cars to get the ambulance out in an emergency.
“If you live on a private drive with multiple residences, make sure each residence is clearly marked with its individual address,” one EMS supervisor pointed out. If the drive splits at some point, there needs to be a clear marker at the split that delineates which home is down which side of the split.
Well Marked Split Drive
If your turnaround at the house includes a part of the yard, make sure the septic tank and any other underground spaces or vaults are clearly marked. These lids are not made for driving across and will collapse.
If you ever have water that crosses your drive and it requires a pipe or small bridge, ask an engineer to specify the material it needs to be made of. There’s reinforced concrete, hi density polyethylene, corrugated aluminum, and others like PVC. Depending on how deep yours is buried will have a lot to do with buying the correct pipe. Remember, use 80,000 pounds as a minimum load when having this calculated.
If you have a gate across your property’s access, consider a siren operated entrance system that will allow emergency vehicles to open the gate in the event of an emergency. Keep in mind the width of the driveway needs to be that all important 12 feet after the gate has fully opened. Google a reputable gate installer to ask about purchasing one of these.
Proper Gate Access
Improper Gated Access
If you have a fire hydrant on your property, keep bushes and trees trimmed from around the hydrant so that firefighters can see it from all points on the road or driveway. Do not park vehicles, boats, or other anything else in front of the hydrant that may block it from view. Never change the paint scheme of you fire hydrant. Many water providers color code them based on who they belong to and how much water that hydrant can provide.
This may all seem like a lot to digest and get done. Don’t let it overwhelm you. Copy this article and paste it into a document that you can print. Then, take a few weekends and begin checking each item off. You may actually save a life, your home, or something else dear to you by simply helping your local first responders get to you when an emergency does occur.
