Fatal North East crash highlights dangers volunteer fire police face in Erie region

Robert "Doc" Orr recalls a time when, as a member of the fire police for the A.F. Dobler Hose & Ladder Co. in Girard, he was sent out to stop traffic on Tannery Road after a tree fell on the roadway.

Orr, who will soon mark his 65th year as a member of Girard's volunteer fire department, parked his truck in the middle of the roadway, straddling the yellow line, and took other steps to stop traffic while crews cleaned up the fallen tree.

"This guy came and whipped down the road, went by me and stopped quick before hitting the tree," Orr said Tuesday. "Then he went out into someone's yard and around the tree, and went down the road."

The story highlights the dangers that members of area volunteer fire departments who serve as fire police face when they are called to stop or redirect traffic at emergency scenes such as house fires or traffic accidents.

There have been a few instances over the years in which a fire police member was injured in performing their duties. In May of 2017, for example, a fire police officer for the Cambridge Springs Volunteer Fire Department suffered significant injuries when he was struck by a turning tractor-trailer as the officer directed traffic at an intersection on Routes 6 and 19, north of where firefighters were fighting a fire that ultimately leveled the historic Riverside Inn.

A more recent incident turned fatal.

Shawn Giles, 53, a member of the Fuller Hose Co. auxiliary police in North East, died Sunday after he was struck by a car while directing traffic on West Main Road in North East Township at the scene of a traffic accident.

The motorist accused of hitting Giles, 41-year-old Erie resident Dawann M. Simmons, was charged by the Pennsylvania State Police with homicide by vehicle and other offenses.

More: Area firefighters line North East street to honor fallen first responder killed Sunday

"Fire police have a very dangerous job," said Jim Jones, fire police captain for the West Ridge Fire Department in Millcreek Township.

Jones noted that, from information he has seen, more fire police officers are killed in the line of duties than firefighters.

"Just by the very nature of their job, fire police are out there in traffic, whether it's Route 20 or Interstates 90 or 79," he said.

Keeping scenes safe

The primary function of fire police officers is to block off portions of roadways or intersections and to redirect traffic if necessary at the scene of an emergency.

"My main thing is I am there to protect the crew," said Rose Merritt, fire police captain for the Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department.

Fire police are commissioned officers under state law, and are authorized to direct traffic and control crowds at emergency situations and public events, Jones said. They don't have arrest powers, but police are typically at emergency scenes or can be summoned to a scene by radio if a need for law enforcement arises, he said.

West Ridge requires its fire police members to complete 16-hour courses in basic and advanced fire police functions, as well as a 16-hour course that addresses legal concepts related to their duties, said Jones, a 55-year member of West Ridge who has spent 30 years as a member of its fire police.

Fire police use a variety of methods to stop traffic, including placing cones, barricades, flares, vehicles and themselves to close a roadway. West Ridge is fortunate in that it has a good donation base that allows the department to afford the necessary equipment, including helmets and reflective clothing for its officers to wear, said Gary Carver, a fire police member who has served on West Ridge for nearly 40 years.

"It allows us to do an even better job," Carver said.

A dangerous job

Orr said the biggest problem he sees at traffic barricades is motorists who he said don't look beyond the hoods of their vehicles, and aren't looking to see what's happening ahead of them.

"They'll come upon you and slam on their brakes," he said.

Motorists seem to be more distracted these days, particularly by their cell phones, and in many cases aren't paying enough attention to what's going on around them to notice an accident scene ahead, Jones said.

In some cases, such as the tree incident on Tannery Road that Orr responded to, some motorists simply ignore warnings to stop or change their route, some officials said. Carver recalled an incident where he was directing traffic on West Ridge Road, which was shut down because of an emergency. A motorist intentionally drove through the emergency cones that were placed on the roadway and narrowly missed hitting him before the motorist was eventually stopped by a Millcreek Township police officer who was also at the scene, Carver said.

"The greatest concern is how people will respect the directions of fire police," he said. "Most people do. But there are exceptions like the incident in North East where, for some unknown reason, people take it upon themselves to ignore directions or barricades or cones. It not only brings fire police into danger, but all of the EMS personnel or firefighters who are on the grounds. It puts all of them at risk."

More: North East firefighter killed directing traffic at crash Sunday identified

According to the Pennsylvania State Police, Shawn Giles was in the eastbound center lane of West Main Road in North East Township early Sunday afternoon, directing traffic while wearing a reflective vest and using an orange flag. As Giles slowed down and directed traffic, a Lexus driven by Simmons approached the intersection where Giles was standing at high speed and struck Giles, throwing him into the air, troopers reported.

Giles was taken by ambulance to UPMC Hamot, where he was pronounced dead at 1:43 p.m. Sunday, according to state police and the Erie County Coroner's Office.

State police wrote in the criminal complaint filed against Simmons that he told investigators after the accident that he had seen a vehicle stop in front of him and had changed lanes when the fire policeman jumped in front of him waving a flag, and he tried to veer out of the way but struck him.

But footage from a trooper's vehicle-mounted video camera showed Giles standing in the center eastbound lane directing traffic for several minutes when the Lexus approached at high speed and did not appear to slow down before hitting Giles, investigators wrote in the complaint.

Safety steps

The keys to keeping everyone safe at an emergency scene are to pay attention and follow directions, fire police officers say.

"When you see someone wearing a vest and see red lights or blue lights, it should be a warning sign that people need to slow down and pay attention," Jones said.

Orr said it's also important for motorists to go slow if they are directed to travel past an emergency scene, because you never know when a firefighter is going to step out to pick up a piece of equipment or get into a truck. Motorists should also dim their lights, because it can be difficult for fire police to see the actions of oncoming traffic with high beams shined at them, he said.

Patience and understanding are also key, said Merritt, a member of the Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department since 2008.

"What I do, if we have an intersection shut down or I'm redirecting traffic and I have to stop people, if they're sitting there for a while I normally walk up, tell them about what's going on and thank them for their patience," she said.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Fatal crash highlights dangers fire police face on job in Erie area