Snow, ice doesn't stop Mountain Home emergency responders from helping those in need

It doesn't matter how cold it gets. It doesn't matter how much snow falls. It doesn't matter how bad roads get. First responders, fire, police, ambulance crews, they all have to answer emergency calls no matter what Mother Nature throws at them.

Cpt. Jeff Lewis of the Baxter County Sheriff's Office, Mountain Home Fire Chief Kris Quick and Eddie Griffin, Acting Police Chief of the Mountain Home Police Department, sat down and talked about how inclement weather impacts the operations of their agencies.

"We start planning as soon as we see a forecast showing inclement weather," said Lewis. "Most of our patrol vehicles are Dodge Chargers, and they don't do well in the snow."

But, with a little help from state inmates housed at the Baxter County Jail, those patrol vehicles get outfitted to better cope with slick roads brought on by ice and snow. Those inmates, known as "309 inmates" for the Arkansas Department of Corrections program they are in, switch out the tires on the Chargers and put on studded tires. They also make sure the patrol cars have their fluids topped off and are road ready.

Additionally, those deputies who serve as school resource officers generally drive SUVs. Those are brought in and used by patrol deputies during inclement weather, Lewis said.

For the MHPD, things are different, according to Griffin.

"Fortunately for us, the majority of our vehicles are front-wheel drive. They do much better in the snow than the old rear-wheel drive patrol cars did," Griffin said. "All of our Ford Explorers are front-wheel drive. We've got a couple of all-wheel drives."

The MHPD has been phasing out the use of Dodge Chargers and has only three left in their fleet. Those three are outfitted with studded tires when the weather turns bad, Griffin said.

The type of calls law enforcement officers respond to changes when weather gets bad, according to Lewis.

"Typically when the weather gets bad, we receive a greater number of calls for welfare checks," Lewis said. "People who haven't had contact with a family member or a friend in a couple of days and they're worried about them."

For the Mountain Home Fire Department, they've seen an increase in calls regarding fire alarms and gas leaks, according to Quick.

"The gas companies have told me when the ground freezes, it moves and twists," Quick said. "Some calls are about pressure relief valves. I'm not certain how the weather impacts those, but we are seeing more calls involving the relief valves."

As for fire alarms, sometimes heating equipment breaks down and fire alarms can be triggered during service calls by repair personnel. Often, a business will inform the MHFD when work is being performed and false calls may be triggered.

Another way fire alarms can be triggered is by water flow. That's what happened at Big Creek Country Club at noon on Tuesday. Firefighters responded to a fire alarm call at the country club, entered the building and discovered a broken water pipe.

As for the MHFD vehicles, the weather can impact the pumper trucks because the pumps can freeze. When those trucks have to be outside, firefighters can activate the pumps which circulate water between the pump and the tank.

This is similar leaving a faucet in your home dripping to prevent your pipes from freezing, Quick said.

As for driving the trucks on bad roads, Quick said the big trucks generally do well with traction because they are heavy. However, stopping and turning can be a challenge.

What you can do to help first responders

Griffin, Lewis and Quick all said the most important thing residents can do to help first responders during winter weather is stay home unless you absolutely need to be out.

"If you have to be out and you see an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens running, pull to the right as far as you safely can and slow to a crawl," Quick said. "We don't want you to stop completely because you might be able to get started again, particularly on an incline."

All three men said emergency vehicles will be going slow just like other motorists. The drivers understand that inclement weather might mean the motoring public can't move out of the way as fast or as far as normal.

"We all just need to be patient and understanding during times like this," Griffin said. "If we work together and look out for each other, we'll get through this in great shape.

Another type of service call sees an increase during inclement weather. People who need medicine but cannot drive due to the weather conditions. Both the MHPD and the BCSO have for years picked up and delivered medicine for people during snowstorms.

"For instance, we had a call just this morning from an elderly lady who has an aide that comes and helps her every day," Griffin said. "One of our CID investigators went this morning, picked the aide up and dropped her off at the elderly woman's house. That's the kind of service most every department provides when they can."

The MHPD can be reached by calling (870) 425-6336. The Sheriff's Office may be reached by calling (870) 425-7000.