USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN RESPONDING

PA INFORMATIONAL ALERT: A SERVICE OF THE PENNSYLVANIA FIRE
AND EMERGENCY SERVICES INSTITUTE-Tom Savage, Executive Director
==============================================


TRAINING, BACKRGOUND AND DRIVER LICENSE CHECKS...AND USE EXTREME 
CAUTION WHEN RESPONDING: THESE TYPES OF TRAGIC RESULTS ARE NOT WORTH IT.

A lawsuit seeking $6 million in damages has been filed in Greene 
County (TN) Circuit Court against the Baileyton United VFD, one of 
its Firefighters and the Greene County Association of VFD's, in 
connection with a fatal responding 2007 traffic crash on behalf of 
Crystal Henderson, surviving spouse of the late James Darryl 
Henderson and their surviving daughter Chelsea Henderson.
James Darryl Henderson died on July 12, 2007, from injuries suffered 
in a June 16, 2007, collision between his vehicle and one driven by 
FF Travis Joe Dearstone who was responding to a house fire.
"On July 12, 2007, after enduring extreme pain and suffering since 
the time of the collision, Mr. Henderson died as a result of the 
massive injuries he sustained in the automobile collision on June 16, 2007."
The lawsuit's complaint also alleges that the FD and the County 
Association "negligently hired, trained, and/or supervised FF Travis 
Joe Dearstone in that they failed to perform a proper background 
check, to investigate his driving history, to provide him with 
proper training in regard to safely and prudently responding to a 
fire, and to provide him with proper supervision, and thereby these 
defendants failed to comply with the accepted standards, policies 
and procedures governing the hiring, training, and/or supervision of 
such firefighters."

The complaint also alleges that FF Dearstone, at the time of the 
crash, committed several acts of "common-law negligence," including:
* failing to maintain a proper lookout for other vehicles on the roadway;
* failing to maintain the vehicle he was operating under due and 
reasonable control;
* failing to stop his vehicle before colliding with another vehicle;
* failing to insure that he could pull safely into ongoing traffic;
* failing to yield the right of way to the vehicle driven by James 
Darryl Henderson; and
* failing to observe applicable traffic laws.

The defendants strictly denied that FF Dearstone, acted in a 
willful, wanton manner or to the level of gross negligence or that 
the United VFD negligently hired, trained and/or supervised him or 
that he had reckless propensities. Like so many-all he was doing was 
trying to help someone-but the results for whatever determined final 
reasons, were tragic.

This is amongst the LAST position any FF's, Chiefs, FD's or 
Association's ever want to find themselves in....another sobering 
reminder for the rest of us.

Take Care-BE CAREFUL.
BillyG