The author returns a very frightened, confused dog to his owner.
By Captain Lana Pierce
About a month ago, my fire crew and I responded to a woman from out of state who wrecked her car on the interstate. She had no family nearby; she lost her phone in the wreck, and somewhere in her crashed car was a scared and angry cat.
She’s one of hundreds of travelers on Arkansas roads who unexpectedly find themselves in an emergency each year. After almost 20 years of working similar accidents, I’m asked to share with you what I wish every driver knew. And no better time to create a checklist for you than the holidays.
- Write emergency numbers down and put them on your visor. Write them large, legibly, and include names. Phones are often crushed, thrown from vehicles, or unable to be reached by drivers.
- If you have notable health issues, write these down or wear identifying medical jewelry while on the road. If rendered unconscious, the information will help responders determine your medical needs.
- Secure child seats. With the shifting of luggage, gifts, grandma’s leftovers, and child safety seats, drivers sometimes fail to secure the seat itself with the vehicle’s restraint system. (Many fire stations have staff trained in proper installation of car seats!)
- Secure your pets. Because Fido cannot brace himself for impact, he becomes a projectile. An airborne animal can injure occupants, be caught under brake pedals (often fatal to the animal), or be thrown from the vehicle. Pets need collars, tags with a phone number, and to be inside a crate. (If you are worried that your pet may be trapped in a vehicle fire, I assure you as a firefighter it is much easier to pull the crate out than chase a scared animal through the car.)
- Time and again, I’ve seen the elderly resist wearing seatbelts. Even my own grandparents refused to wear them until they reached their 80s. If you are driving, make sure you emphasize that wearing a belt is not negotiable. It’s for their safety, and yours. Unrestrained occupants bounce through crashing cars like pinballs, risking injury and death to themselves and those around them.
- Finally, try your best to keep a mental note of landmarks, exit ramps, or mile markers. It’s easy to lose track of where you are when driving through unfamiliar towns. We can only get help to you if you have a fairly good sense of your location!
Have a wonderful holiday season and stay safe!
Captain Lana Pierce is a 19-year veteran of the NLRFD.
