In German Township we have many high speed accidents that require the use of the Jaws of Life and other extrication tools. The other two reasons are fire suppression and fuel spill cleanup. The injured can't wait ten minutes if a gasoline motor that controls life-saving equipment does not start. The Jaws of Life receive power from a gasoline engine . Department policy requires that we respond the second as a backup and in case we need two tools.
Time is what the fire fighters are fighting.
Serious injuries require that we extricate and have the injured party in surgery within one hour of the accident. That is a very tight time schedule that requires rapid response, trained and experienced fire fighters performing their tasks without hesitation. Twenty years ago when the water district was formed the members of the water district voted not to install a fire fighting system. Unfortunately, that request was not acted upon. The lack of fire hydrants every 1000 feet require this department to supply water for fire fighting in many instances with Tanker trucks .