This is an update to a tragic story from New Jersey I first saw on FirefighterCloseCalls.com earlier today. It is about Joseph Sims Jr., who was driving an ambulance back from the hospital when he became aware that the home he shared with his father, also Joseph Sims, was on fire.
While responding in the ambulance to the burning home there was a serious collision with another vehicle. Sims and his partner in the unit were not seriously hurt, but a 43-year-old woman was airlifted to a trauma center. The reports are her condition has stabilized.
Joseph Sims died in the fire in the Erma Section of Lower Township. As you will see in the excerpts from this Press of Atlantic City article, the response by the ambulance to the house fire is not considered legal:
Police say the Middle Township ambulance driver who crashed into another vehicle Tuesday while responding to a fire that killed his father, was not responding in an official capacity.
Joseph Sims, Jr., a member of the Middle Township Ambulance Corps, raced to the scene after finding out about the fire — but the ambulance collided with a Chevy Trailblazer driven by Alyn Toth, 43, of Burleigh section of Middle Township.
Middle Township Police Chief Christopher Leusner said Sims would not have been able to legally respond to the Lower Township fire.
Also on STATter911 …
- UPDATE: Firefighter shot on Long Island at Bellmore crash scene. Police in Nassau County shoot & kill gunman. – March 2, 2011
- Kansas City firefighter may lose leg or foot after crash near firehouse. Other driver suspected of DUI. – February 15, 2011
- Kansas City firefighter loses part of his leg but is called a ‘hero”. Police say Jeff Smith’s actions likely spared the lives of a child & her mother. – February 17, 2011
- Blaine, Pennsylvania house fire kills seven children. Bodies found in Perry County farmhouse. – March 9, 2011
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Before we jump to too many conclusions, traffic on RT 9 south at that intersection has the right of way. We don’t know yet where the Trailblazer came from. Just a little further south there is a stop light. But traffic on Indian Trials road has a stop sign. Sure, he shouldn’t have been responding but the accident may not have been his fault.
I feel bad for the guy. To say it wasn`t his fault though, I can`t go that far. He was lit up without being under dispatch. I feel bad for all those involved.
Ok before everyone starts to judge, put yourself in that persons shoes. I know if it was anyone of my family members trapped in a house fire at my house I would be responding. I don’t care if it was legal or not. And i bet 99% of you would to. This is a tragic story for all parties involved. I will pray for the ambulance crew and his family, as well as the female who was flown to the hospital. Yes it is sad that an innocent bystander had to be part of this. But once again don’t judge and think what you would do if it was you in that situation.
Dispatched or not with EMS in that area being volunteer the ambulance if it had not been involved in a MVA would have been the 1st due BLS unit. So not only was he responding because it was his father trapped but also because he could have made a difference. The timing on this was early on in the incident.
Brian is completely wrong with his comment. Lower Township is a paid ambulance service that not only provides emergency service to the residents of Lower Township but also does non emergency transport. As far as being first due BLS unit; it would be more like third or fourth due with Lower, Rio Grande, Wildwood, and possibly even Cape May being closer (all have paid rigs).
“Dispatched or not with EMS in that area being volunteer the ambulance if it had not been involved in a MVA would have been the 1st due BLS unit.”
It’s called “Freelancing.” On the fireground, it can get someone killed. And, obviously, it is a serious risk OFF the fireground as well.
He had NO business responding in an ambulance. All he succeeded in doing was NOT get to the fire, almost killed an innocent civilian, and take his agency’s unit out of service- perhaps permanently.
If I were his supervisor he would have my sympathies for the loss of his father. And a termination notice.
BH,
Just playing devil’s advocate here for a moment on this awful set of circumstances. Step back for a bit and forget rules and regulations.
How many out there knowing that your house is on fire with the elderly father you care for inside are so professional that you can HONESTLY say wouldn’t go to the scene in the ambulance, with lights or sirens or without (both probably against the rules)?
What if it was your child in the house?
I have thought about this one a lot. To me this is one of those cases where black and white isn’t that easy and there is a lot of grey in the answer. And its is the exact reason I ran the story.
Statter
I can’t say what he did was right or wrong. If it was my family in that house, I would’ve had my partner drive due to my judgement and ability to drive being compromised. I would feel really bad losing a father or family member, but I would feel even worse knowing that I cause an accident that caused injury or death to someone else.