By Carter Hall, CSFD Public Information Officer
Everyone loves trees, especially the towering ones that were around long before our grandparents.
Unfortunately, large limbs from many of these gorgeous trees eventually become overgrown and hang perilously above residential streets. The thick canopy formed by the branches aren’t a problem for most vehicles, but fire, utility and trash trucks are a different matter.
We appreciate the immeasurable value of trees, especially large ones, but we can’t risk expensive damage to our ladder trucks and older engines that have ladder racks. The repair bills can cost our taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars and put vital equipment out of service for months.
These accidents aren’t rare, either.
In recent months, several Texas fire departments have had ladder platforms severely damaged by low-hanging limbs. The Bryan Fire Department had a ladder/platform damaged by a limb last year, and it cost more than $80,000 and took about nine months to get the truck back into operation.
The Fire Department is working diligently with residents to address the issue by trimming the trees to a height of at least 14 feet if possible. We certainly don’t want to cause harm or kill these old trees, but we also want to get to your house or your neighbor’s quickly in an emergency without damaging our trucks or your property.
For more information or to have us evaluate low-hanging limbs in your neighborhood, call us at 979-764-3705.
About the Blogger
Carter Hall has been a College Station firefighter since 2011. He earned a degree in leadership development from Texas A&M in 2005.
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