By Olivia Mitchell
cleveland.com
CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland has added a new layer of protection for emergency crews working along highways with the deployment of its first dedicated highway crash attenuator, becoming the first municipality in Ohio to put the specialized vehicle into service.
The truck, known as “Blocker 1,” is designed to shield police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and motorists at highway crash scenes, officials announced on Thursday.
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City officials say the vehicle will help create safer work zones while allowing emergency responders to focus on treating victims and managing traffic.
The truck features an elevated illuminated directional arrow and electronic message board that alert approaching drivers to move around an emergency scene, slow down and monitor their speed. If a vehicle fails to stop, the rear-mounted crash attenuator is designed to absorb much of the impact before it reaches first responders or emergency equipment.
Public Safety Director Wayne Drummond said highway crashes remain among the most hazardous calls emergency personnel face.
“This equipment gives our first responders another critical layer of protection while they carry out their duties,” Drummond said. “It’s an investment in their safety, their families, and the communities they serve.”
The total cost of the attenuator was $170,000. The city wants to add two more attenuators by next year, Drummond added, comparing the price to a fire apparatus ladder truck, which typically costs about $1 million to $1.5 million.
The city said police officers, firefighters and paramedics often arrive at highway emergencies at different times and may have to begin lifesaving efforts before a fully protected work zone can be established. Officials believe the new vehicle will improve safety during those critical moments.
The purchase comes after several deaths that illustrated the hazards first responders face. In the past decade, a Cleveland police officer, a Cleveland firefighter and an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper were killed in separate traffic-related incidents in Northeast Ohio.
City officials emphasized that the crash attenuator is intended to reduce the risk of serious injuries by directing traffic away from emergency scenes and serving as a protective barrier between approaching vehicles and responders.
Fire officials said the new truck will also help preserve valuable firefighting equipment.
While ladder trucks will continue responding to highway crashes, they are often used to block multiple lanes of traffic, placing expensive apparatus at risk of being struck by passing vehicles.
Acting Fire Chief Wayne Naida said damage from those crashes can sideline ladder trucks for months.
“Another benefit for Blocker 1 is keeping our ladder trucks in service and ready to respond to structure fires and other emergencies as needed,” Naida said. “When our trucks are hit while blocking on the highway, the damage can put them out of service for months.”
Cleveland safety officials report an average of six accidents per day on the highway interstate system. The attenuator truck will respond only to highway accidents, not ones that occur on regular city streets, according to Naida.
According to the city, Cleveland is the first Ohio municipality to operate a dedicated highway blocker or crash attenuator vehicle, excluding those used by the Ohio Department of Transportation and private contractors.
Officials said the investment is intended to improve safety for both emergency responders and motorists traveling through the city.
“We’re always looking at ways to make sure that not only our first responders on the highways are safe, but also just our city workers, in general,” Drummond said.
Should blocker trucks become standard equipment for departments that regularly respond to highway crashes? Why or why not?
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