Heavy Construction a Problem for First-Responders

Lanes of traffic are an annoyance for some. But for others it can be problematic. When the traffic has slowed down because of construction, people try to take their own alternative routes, says Kenny Harvey," a Saltillo volunteer firefighter. Some of those drivers end up getting lost while others are detained. " We`ve had 18- wheelers come in here and turn around and we`ve had problems getting them out," says Fire Chief Otis Reed. "They`d be stuck here." So the Volunteer Fire Department has taken matters into its own hands. The fire chief and his deputies are drafting a plan with alternate traffic routes. Traffic could begin to move again." says Harvey. "It wouldn`t be fast, but we could keep people on the road." There are 15 volunteer firefighters in the department. Six of them are first-responders and have to fight through traffic en route to emergencies. Harvey says the plan won`t eliminate traffic altogether but it would make life on the job --and on the road -- much easier. "We have to live with it, "he says. "We know that so we`d have to deal with it." The Department says it also spends a lot of time working with state police to reroute traffic. The Chief Reed plans to submit alternate routing plans to a local emergency planning committee in two weeks. -- Filed by Dave Jordan