One local mother is very thankful for the help she received from the Castlegar Fire Department (CFD) last week.
When a serious accident closed down Hwy. 22 between Blueberry and Genelle for several hours on Nov. 20, the CFD was on the scene not just as initial first responders, but also to maintain the integrity of an accident scene and make sure people in the line-up were safe.
Lisa Weir and her 18-month-old daughter Audrey were on their way home from Spokane that cold and rainy Monday night. Audrey had started to cry after they crossed the border at Patterson. After sitting at the accident scene for half an hour and discovering that the wait was going to be hours more and with Audrey still crying, Weir decided to wrap up her baby, put her in a stroller and walk home to Blueberry where she could be fed and tucked into her own bed.
“She was beside herself,” said Weir. ”There was no way we could wait any longer or even take her around [the mountain pass detour].”
When Weir approached the accident scene and explained her situation, the CFD crew agreed to escort her through the area on foot and then offered her a ride home.
“I was very, very thankful they gave me a ride,” Weir said. “It was very nice of them.”
The firefighters also gave Audrey a teddy bear. Her mom reports that she is now very happy and proud of her new toy.
Weir’s husband stayed with their vehicle and eventually took the detour around the Bombi pass before arriving home many hours later.
In another instance, a family was on their way home from Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital with a newborn baby. The baby had some medical issues and really needed to get home in a timely manner.
“We made sure first of all that the baby was fine, but it needed to go home,” explained CFD chief Sam Lattanzio. They were then escorted through the scene so they could tend to their baby’s needs.
While some in the line-up got impatient, the situation illustrates why it sometimes takes a long time for a road to re-open after an accident.
“When the RCMP request that the scene be preserved because the traffic analyst is coming — we need to keep the scene intact as possible,” explained Lattanzio.
He encourages anyone in such a situation that has a serious medical need to let an emergency official on scene know what is going on, so they can try to help.
He also encourages everyone to keep a survival kit in your vehicle, with a minimum of blankets, high-energy food and water.
“You never know — you have to always think,” said Lattanzio. “You need to be ready — ultimately you should be able to take care of yourself when you have to wait.”
Castlegar RCMP and collision analysts are to investigating the cause of the accident that led to the road closure and to determine charges if applicable.