Slaughterville To Receive New Trucks After May Floods

A water rescue during May's storms took a dangerous turn for two Slaughterville firefighters. The city's brush truck was totaled when the firefighters got trapped in rushing floodwaters.

Insurance was able to cover the replacement of the destroyed brush truck, but Slaugherville's fire department is now receiving additional trucks because of state and federal grants.

Calls for help began flooding the 911 lines on May 23 as heavy rain filled the streets of Slaughterville.

Chief David Thompson described that night as everything thing happening all at once.

"We had received numerous water rescue calls starting approximately 9:30," Slaughterville fire Chief David Thompson said.

But that night, as two of their men responded to another high water rescue call, the firefighters became the ones in need of help.

"The water was approximately mid-wheel so and it never really changed, but the current changed, the conditions underneath the water changed to extreme mud and the current picked up," Thompson said.

The swift moving water pushed the brush truck off the road and into a ditch where water quickly filled the cabin. Filling so high water flowed across the truck's dashboard.

"They had to work hard to equalize the pressure, get the windows down and they were finally able to roll the window down and get out," he said.

Major Brian Parker and firefighter Willie Glenn survived but their brush truck was totaled.

"We were able to salvage the bed and the skid unit. The truck was practically brand new. It had less than a 1,000 miles on it," he said.

With the help of insurance and two grants, the Slaughterville Fire Department was able to replace the damaged brush truck and add more to its fleet.

Thompson knows risks are associated with the job, but he asks every to think about the lives they could be putting in danger by crossing roads with high water.

"Please heed those warnings because not only do you put your own life in danger but you put the lives of other firefighters in danger by having to come out and rescue you," Thompson said.

Thompson says the new trucks will arrive in the next few months.