Lucky - Fire Crews were Training Across Street from Austin Plane Terrorism

[RamboLiberal]

On Thursday morning, just minutes before a single-engine plane would plunge into the Echelon I building, the Travis County Hazardous Materials Team gathered in the parking lot of Dave and Buster's at the intersection of U.S. 183 and MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1).

It was the first time the team, made up of firefighters from the Lake Travis, Pflugerville, Westlake, Oak Hill and other fire departments, had decided to hold its monthly training exercise there. Someone had heard that the big, empty lot was available, and it was a central location for team members coming from the four corners of Travis County.

The parking lot just happened to be across the highway from the Echelon I building.

About 10 a.m., firefighters saw the Piper Cherokee scream overhead, flying dangerously low and fast. Moments later, the 15-person team heard the blast as the plane made impact. The crew immediately gathered its protective equipment and its single fire engine and raced around the Loop 360 (Capital of Texas Highway) crossover, arriving on the scene several minutes before the first Austin firefighters would get there.

Officials say that coincidence and quick reaction probably helped keep death and injury counts so remarkably low. Despite the horrific damage to the office building, only two people were hospitalized and two others killed, including, officials think, the pilot. Fire officials say the presence of the Travis County crews was particularly vital because several Austin fire engines in the area were already battling a blaze at the home of Andrew Joseph Stack III, accused of being the pilot.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/lucky-concidence-may-have-saved-lives-262042.html

[Skittles]

1. let's hear it for firefighters

awesome folk :thumbsup:

[Yurovsky]

2. agree 100%...

of course the teabaggers & the nut who flew the plane into the IRS building would argue that paying for firefighters is just more "wasteful government spending".

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

3. I've never seen them claim that.

[kestrel91316]

4. I've seen RWers say that firefighting should be fee-for-service and privatized.

Within the past few days, no less.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

8. There are companies that provide fire service, they haven't been very successful.

[Skittles]

5. they won't say it

but they also seem to have no fucking clue what exactly our tax dollars buy besides war

[tango-tee]

7. Ain't that the truth!

:hi:

[greyl]

6. It's a logical conclusion to their illogic.

They don't tend to consider the logical consequences of their partisan pronouncements, perhaps explaining the paucity of their appearance to you.