Tow Truck Driver Chases WSP Shooter

Twenty-Five year veteran State Trooper Scott Johnson was shot in the back of the head Saturday morning following a routine DUI stop. While a fellow officer booked the impaired driver into jail, Trooper Johnson processed the vehicle for impound on the side the Highway. Without warning, a man approached Trooper Johnson and fired a gun. The wounded Washington State Patrol officer is now recovering from the gunshot wounds at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.

Emergency services were initially notified of an officer down by a tow truck driver on scene. The flatbed driver of Hill’s Auto Body & Towing was in the process of hooking up to the vehicle that was ordered to be impounded by WSP. It was the tow truck operator that saw a brief exchange of words between the gunman and the State Trooper, then witnessed shots fired.

According to reports, two shots were fired by the mysterious gunman. One of those shots struck the trooper in the head and became lodged in muscle tissue behind his ear, only missing his spinal cord by a few inches. Trooper Johnson immediately turned and returned fire, likely missing his assailant.

As the gunman proceeded to flee the scene, the tow truck driver persued the attacker, but had to retreat after the criminal fired a bullet toward him. The drivers next reaction was to return to the injured trooper and call in for help. Responding officers in the surrounding community of Long Beach, Washington were on scene within minutes.

The tow truck driver was unharmed, but Trooper Johnson required immediate medical attention after the gunshot wound from point blank range. The tow truck operator reported it was the quick reaction of Trooper Johnson, moving aside when the gun was pressed to his head, that saved his life.

Police are still searching for the suspect and are offering a $26,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. Tips have been pouring in, but have not yet led to an arrest.

The man is described as white male, 35-40 years old with tan skin, approximately 5′10″ and 190lbs. He was wearing a dark insulated shirt and a knit cap.

Washington State Tip Line: 1-800-283-7808

Outside Washington Tip Line: 1-360-405-6650

The ambush follows a string of shootings on law enforcement that have killed six Washington State police officers since this Halloween. None of the attacks are believed to be connected, other than the fact that all of them ocurred in Washington State. Now the fight is on for emergency responders to protect each other on the streets in an increasingly dangerous environment.

How a Tow Truck is Born

Miller Industries, Inc. is the nation’s largest manufacturer of tow trucks and towing equipment. This month, some of us from Airport Towing had the opportunity to tour the factory 2,600 miles away from our Seattle area office in Ooltewah, Tennessee. The Miller facility is just outside the city of Chattanooga, where the first tow truck was invented in 1916 by Ernest Holmes. Today, Holmes is a division of Miller Industries. Miller also produces Century, Vulcan, Chevron, Challenger, Champion, Eagle, SP Series, Boniface, and Jige towing and recovery units.

Inside the Tennessee plant, tow trucks emerge from pieces of raw metal right before our eyes. Millers’ 100,000 square foot warehouse is their primary manufacturing facility where thousands of tow trucks are manufactured each year. Our personal factory tour led us through the plant to follow the production of units from initial parts order to final completion. Employees we encountered during the tour were informative and helpful, teaching us the true meaning of “southern hospitality”.

We began at the first step in the process of building a tow truck, where the appropriate sizes and amounts of raw steel are acquired and stocked. When a tow unit is ordered, Miller employees round up all the necessary materials from their stock within the warehouse to build the sub-frame and transfer the parts to a welding station within the facility. Nearly all of the steel acquired by Miller is American made and forged locally. After the necessary materials are assembled, a skilled welder begins joining the metal to create the structural support of the tow unit. Miller boasts that their low turnover of skilled workers has been a key ingredient in yielding a high quality man-made product for several years.

Once unit is structurally sound, the functional parts are attached. Following the final welding process, the conjoined pieces are bead blasted. Bead blasting is necessary because the welding process can leave rough edges and small debris. The process of bead blasting is defined as removing surface deposits by applying fine glass beads at a low pressure without damaging the surface. Workers move parts requiring blasting into a large enclosed chamber, and seal the doors so they can unleash thousands of tiny reusable beads to blast the fabricated unit.

When all welding and fabrication is complete for a single unit, the unassembled parts go into the painting process.

Miller has the capability of painting tow truck parts on site. Applying primer and paint before the unit is assembled is essential to eliminate duplication of effort and is important for a high quality paint job.

The last step in building a tow truck is final assembly. Anyone purchasing a wrecker body from Miller has the option of ordering the complete tow unit and installing it themselves, or ordering a factory install. The factory has a team of people who are dedicated wrecker body installers and are only required to mount the tow unit to the chassis. Of course, one catch is that anyone who orders a factory install is required to send the truck’s cab and chassis to Miller so that it can be married to the tow unit. Most tow truck operators have unique requirements for their trucks and require specific options and accessories. The installers are responsible for all aspects of the install, including mounting the wrecker body, connecting all wiring and hydraulics, and attaching additional parts and accessories, such as dollies, chains, cables, etc.

Many units that Miller produces are built from the ground up inside their Chattanooga factory. In some ways, Miller Industries operates like a classic American factory. The company primarily uses skilled craftsman to produce tow units. Few robotics can be found inside the factory, which are greatly outnumbered by human hands. As a result, Miller employs about 2200 workers, 300 of which are manufacturing tow trucks at their primary facility in Chattanooga. As advertised, Miller Industries is the largest manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment in the world. The company is an impressive consolidation of the greatest names in the towing industry, now working together to produce the most technologically advanced towing equipment available. Miller’s efforts in innovation, quality craftsmanship, and American made products are why we at Airport Towing have been loyal customers since 1988. Our company continues to seek the best products available so that we can better serve our customers and this month we were happy to learn how our equipment is built and what type of care and attention it gets before we put our name on it.

Towing Drunk Drivers = Saving Lives

A new law in Washington State could save countless lives by mandating that all persons arrested for drunk driving have their vehicles impounded and put on hold for 12 hours.

The law would officially be referred to as Hailey’s Law and a similar type of enforcement is already being used in New Jersey. It has been created in honor of Hailey French who was struck and severely injured by a DUI offender who had returned to her vehicle less than 2 hours after being stopped for possible DUI. Following her release by the police, the offender immediately returned to her vehicle and drove away, eventually colliding head on with Hailey’s vehicle while still under the influence of alcohol. The State of Washington was sued and forced to pay $5.5 million as a result.

Currently, law enforcement officers must separate the driver from the car in one of four ways: by impounding the car, by turning the car over to a sober, responsible adult, by turning the driver over to a sober, responsible adult, or by holding the driver in jail until he is sober. This leaves plenty of loopholes for drunk drivers. Even though a vehicle is impounded, it can be released immediately because towing companies have no method of checking a drivers blood alcohol level, nor the legal right to do so.

In September of 2009 3 people were killed in SeaTac shortly after the vehicle’s owner was arrested for DUI. Under the proposed law, the crash would never had occurred because the vehicle would have been impounded and held for 12 hours. Instead, another driver without a license drove the vehicle from where it was parked and picked up the drunk driver after she was released from police custody. The unlicensed driver drove the vehicle at a high rate of speed into the side of a warehouse, killing himself, and the accused DUI driver along with her brother.

House Bill 2565 has now been formally introduced in the 2010 session and could become a law sometime this year. Those sponsoring the bill include Representatives Ericksen, Simpson, Smith, Van De Wege, Sells, Orwall, Goodman, Morrell, and Moeller.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported that in 2008 alcohol impaired drivers were responsible for 233 deaths state wide, which is nearly half of all traffic related fatalities. The WTSC also reported that “motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for persons 1 to 34 years of age in the United States.”

Hailey’s Law will prevent many alcohol related deaths if it moves through the House of Representatives as it is expected to. Many other agencies are in support of the life-saving bill, including the Washington State Patrol.

Airport Towing been involved in the recovery of thousands of wrecked vehicles over a period of 21 years, many of which are alcohol related injuries and fatalities. Support of House Bill 2565 is one step closer to reducing the number of lives that are destroyed from impaired driving. It is one more check system that would be in place to prevent tragedy.

1966 Ford Nearly Restored

“B-Unit” #83 is a tribute to Brian Storer. The lean, mean, Ford racing machine is being restored for one reason: It was Brian Storer’s dream to revive this this truck and make it his own.

Mark Storer, CEO and founder of Airport Towing started collecting antique tow trucks in 1997. Since then he has built up a collection of 13 classic trucks. One of them is a 1966 Ford F-350.

Shortly after purchasing the truck, Mark’s youngest son and employee Brian (driver #83) made known his interest in the truck. He immediately saw the potential, and he loved that the truck would rumble and roar when he stepped on the gas pedal. The truck had custom chrome exhaust stacks (though they were heavily rusted and in desperate need of replacement).

Its frame supported a Holmes 460 wrecker: One of the most celebrated tow units of it’s time; popular for it’s twin boom feature that would allow one side of the truck to anchor to a stable object and the other side to swing out and recover a vehicle. Even today, Holmes is known for producing some of the most unique towing equipment on the planet.

The company’s founder, Ernest Holmes, is famous for his most popular invention: The world’s first tow truck! Holmes originally mounted a chain and pulley to the frame of a 1913 Cadillac and went to work as the first ever tow truck operator in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Nearly 100 years later, Brian Storer found himself inspired by a beat up old Holmes unit. He loved everything about the truck and vowed to restore it. He even collected a few parts along the way. The find he was most proud of was a red bench seat in near perfect condition, brought in to replace the previous upholstery which was torn and tattered. A couple of years went by as the truck sat in Mark’s warehouse awaiting restoration and eventually, the unthinkable happened. Mark and Brian died in a sudden plane crash. One of Brian’s dreams would never come true. He would not get the opportunity to tear the Ford truck to the ground and build it back up again in all the glory of it’s hay-day.

The Storer family has spent the past year-and-a-half recovering from the tremendous loss in their family. As the days continue to go by, family members have come up with ways to pay homage to their loved one’s who have moved on into eternity. The greatest of which was most likely an idea that was produced by Lynette Storer, Brian’s mother and Mark’s wife. Lynette is now the President/CEO of Airport Towing and has been helping run the day-to-day operations of the company for nearly 22 years.

As you may have guessed, her vision was to restore the 66 Ford, exactly as Brian would have wanted it done. Even though it has proven to be an expensive and time consuming project, Lynette has pressed forward with the restoration. Despite a depressed economy, the love she has for her son is far beyond any monetary value. With the help of Lynette’s staff, she is determined to complete this project.

With the help of several employees and antique specialist Rocky Willis, the project has moved forward with great success. The truck was stripped down and sandblasted earlier this year.

Shortly after, individual pieces of the truck were sent to Huddleson’s Auto Color World to be painted red and white. Finally, the cab and chassis were sprayed and returned to be refitted with the original parts. Fresh paint on the old truck in traditional Airport Towing red and white have made it look better than ever. Meanwhile, custom chrome exhaust stacks were special ordered and the motor was removed for steam-cleaning and repainting.

The paint is now dry and piece by piece, the truck is being meticulously reassembled. Nearly every part on the truck needs to be reinstalled; from the hood to the fenders, the bumper, wheels and rims, doors, windshield, seat, motor, exhaust stacks, lugs, lights, mirrors, and much more. One challenge that complicates the project more than the average pickup restoration is the assembly of the Holmes tow unit on the back end. The unit requires technical expertise because it operates off of a power take off system that utilizes the transmission to engage and enable the boom and winch cables to operate. The old gear driven technology has been replaced with hydraulics in more modern equipment. The wrecker must be assembled accurately to maintain structural integrity if it is ever to be used as a working tow truck. To date, each piece has been sanded, painted, and some are awaiting reassembly. Some of the electrical wiring throughout the truck is still being completed.

The headers have been chrome dipped, enhancing the popular “Powered by Ford” slogan stamped into the metal. Afterward, the freshly painted motor was placed back into the truck.

The motor was repainted factory Ford blue and the tips of the fan have been painted red. The cab was also remounted onto the frame.

Much of the detail work is now being finished. The truck has been refitted with its hood, grille, bumper, beacon, marker lights, headlights, and windshield. After several months of work, it is starting to look like a truck again.

Most recently, the Holmes tow unit was reinstalled and there are now wheels under the frame.

Although the project may look as though it is near completion, there is still a great amount of work to be done. The truck is still awaiting doors and several other interior parts along with wiring and other detail work. Custom lettering and final striping will be added after the truck has reacquired all of it’s necessary mechanical parts. Completion of the 1966 Ford F-350 tow truck is most likely Spring of 2010. Work being done on the truck is ongoing though it is not being rushed so mistakes can be minimized. Once the 66 Ford is completed, it will be one of the most popular and definitely the most powerful tow truck in the Storer Antique Tow Truck Collection and no one will be happier to see its final completion than Lynette.

Lakewood Officers Remembered

The recent loss of 4 Lakewood police officers has reminded us how suddenly we can lose people who are most important in our lives. Our own recent experiences with loss have triggered a particularly emotional response as we watched the news develop last week informing the world of a terrible ambush that took place in our own back yard against local law enforcement officers as they prepared for duty.

Our loss occurred last year when Airport Towing CEO Mark Storer and son Brian Storer died in an airplane crash, shocking the towing industry. Local friends and family members gathered to show their support. Neighboring police and fire agencies joined in to provide assistance to those who were suffering the most, along with other towing companies. The family at Airport Towing voiced their appreciation of the support received from public safety officers and others offering assistance.

Now it is our turn to pay back the support given to our family last year by assisting other families who have suffered a similar fate. Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, Greg Richards, and Sgt. Mark Renninger have all left behind children and families, both at home and within the police department. The families have endured terrible suffering as a result of the unexpected void that took them by surprise on a Sunday morning. We have felt a similar pain, and we know there are few, if any, words that will bring comfort to the loved one’s who are grieving.

Airport Towing and local police officers work together on a daily basis. The officers and towers provide a public service, working together at emergency scenes and during non-emergency traffic situations. Our company got it’s first bitter taste of tragedy when King County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Cox was shot and killed in the line of duty in December of 2006. Officer Cox worked with our Burien Towing drivers on a daily basis during his work week. When he was gunned down on a late winter night. Those who knew him and worked with him were heartbroken. It often seems as though the greatest hero’s of our community are those who suffer the most tragic fate. Two years after Deputy Cox died, Airport Towing lost Mark and Brian. Now, the attention has shifted South, to the families of the fallen Lakewood Officers.

A memorial service was held Tuesday at the Tacoma Dome for all four Lakewood police officers. Prior to the service, a procession of nearly 2,000 emergency vehicles led the ceremony from McChord Air Force Base near where the officers were killed in Parkland, past Lakewood Police Department Headquarters, to the memorial site. More than 20,000 people attended the service, including thousands of police officers and firefighters. The emotion filled service lasted more than 3 hours and featured many stories of the lives of the four slain officers. Family members were surrounded by thousands of attendees, including police officers, firefighters, dignitaries, and others. Governor Christine Gregoire was on hand to speak to the crowd, as was House Representative and former King County Sheriff Dave Reichert. More than 700 Canadians mounted police officers attended, as well as hundreds from Chicago, New York, Boston and other places around the world. The scene was awe-inspiring, with an honor guard of multiple agencies leading the way. For the families, the service was just the beginning of a long road ahead.

Several memorial funds have been set up to support the family of the fallen Lakewood officers. You can donate directly through the Lakewood Police Independent Guild here.

2010 Calendars Are Here!

Back for a 5th straight year, the popular tow truck themed calendar has returned for 2010. Several new photos have been added to give the publication a new feel for the new year.

New features that have helped the 2010 product improve from last year include a 13th month layout and small reference calendars indicating days of the week for previous and upcoming months. The newly designed publication also features a new color scheme, additional holidays, and custom fonts to make it one-of-a-kind.

The greatest accomplishment for this year’s calendar is most likely the introduction of several new photos from around the Pacific Northwest. Ron Storer traveled around greater Seattle with Airport Towing to photograph the antique trucks in some of the most beautiful settings around. Featured neighborhoods include Fremont, Wallingford, Seattle waterfront, Belltown, Burien, Sodo, Seatac, Aurora, Boeing Field, Des Moines, and Mt. Rainier National Park. The scenes themselves are magnificently rich in character, ranging from Dick’s Drive-In to Safeco Field and The Fremont Bridge to The Old Spaghetti Factory.

The Airport Towing calendar is as much about character as it is about content. One new photo shows the 3 youngest members of the Airport Towing family playing in antique pedal cars at a local park in Burien. Two of the toy vehicles are tow trucks, one is a vintage aircraft; hence the new addition to Airport Towing’s calendar. “Airport” being one part of the photo and “Towing” obviously portrayed by the small tow truck peddlers.

Having so many rare and beautiful tow trucks displayed in the calendar was only made possible by the actions of Mark Storer, the founder and deceased CEO of Airport Towing. It was his ambition to build a reputable towing company from the ground up, and his passion for everything towing related (especially antiques) that gave him the drive to complete the restoration of a 1925 Ford Model TT tow truck. The completion of this masterpiece, with the help of mechanic Rocky Willis and his crew led to the addition of 12 other classic trucks, countless parts and accessories, and other memorabilia relating to the history of the towing industry. As a direct result of his efforts, we are able to enjoy one of the finest antique tow truck collections every year.

After Mark and his son Brian died last July, a memorial calendar was printed in their honor. It featured short stories and several memories of the two tow truck men. This year, Mark’s collection of classics and antiques are on front stage, but the father and son are both pictured somewhere in the calendar.

Mark can be seen driving with the top down across the Fremont Bridge in his 1928 Ford Model A Roadster and Brian is shown dressed up as Santa Claus in front of a 1935 Chevrolet. Mark always admitted the annual calendar had become one of his favorite new things each year. At Airport Towing, we plan to keep the tradition alive forever. Work has already begun on a new calendar for 2011.

For more information on the 2010 calendar, please visit our Calendar Page, listed in the Museum section of our site. Calendars can be requested directly through the main office at Airport Towing by calling 1-866-227-7770 or online.

Miller Industries Gets Robbery on Camera

Approximately $200,000 worth of towing equipment was stolen from Miller Industries this week in Chattanooga, Tennessee and their video surveillance was able to get a clear photo of the theft in action. Unfortunately for the factory, their evidence has not yet led to any arrests.

Miller Industries is currently the largest manufacturer of towing equipment in the world. They are the developers of many popular towing brands, such as Century, Vulcan, Chevron, Challenger, Champion, Eagle, and Holmes. The factory in Tennessee is their primary location and has many ongoing projects, including one of their current tasks: building a brand new tow truck for Airport Towing. Our company has been buying new equipment from Miller since 1990 due to the quality of equipment they manufacture and their revolutionary technology in the towing industry.

At 11am Sunday morning, a white semi tractor drove up to the gate at Miller and cut the lock to the shipping area, reports The Chattanoogan. The truck hooked up to a semi trailer loaded with tow truck parts and accessories, then proceeded to drive down the Interstate. The semi truck that successfully escaped the scene of the crime is described as a white International tractor with a sleeper. The 50 foot long flatbed equipment trailer is marked as trailer number 5003 and has Alabama license plate #A063146.

Miller Industries reported that the trailer was loaded with six small wreckers, tunnel boxes, and other parts. The exact description of the items including serial numbers are as follows:

411 Conventional aluminum modular (411-4841-K09)

301 Express aluminum modular (301-1378-K09)

894 Conventional aluminum modular (894-01205-J09)

412 Conventional composite modular, white (412-4510-J09)

810 modular composite body, black (810-2648-K09)

807 dual winch aluminum (807-04485-J09)

The 411 and 894 have square rear tail lights, which were custom ordered.

Authorities have announced that there is a $1,000 reward for information regarding the stolen equipment, the tractor involved, or the suspects should the reports be useful in this case. To notify the authorities, call Crime Stoppers at 698-3333.

Giving Thanks For What We Have

This month I traveled to India and had a glimpse of other tow truck operators performing the same services we provide on the other side of the world. The differences were clear; their equipment is beaten and battered. The technology is old British equipment. The streets are broken and partially washed out due to insufficient maintenance and extreme weather conditions. The life of a tow truck operator in India is significantly different from the U.S.

The average working wage in India is less than $3 per day (U.S dollars). A driver in the United States will likely make up to 40 times more than a tow truck operator in India. While it is true that some of the operating expenses in India are lower as a result of a lower cost of living, Indians pay almost double the U.S. price for fuel. Currently, their average price for gasoline is $4.63 per gallon.

Thanks to the extremely high price of gas combined with low wages of available jobs, many Indians can not afford to drive vehicles powered by fossil fuels. Most local deliveries of goods and merchandise are still performed by animals. Horses, donkeys, oxen, and elephants are routinely driven down the city streets, sharing the road with cars and trucks. When one of these carts breaks down it is assuredly not a tow truck that will show up to rescue the disabled vehicle.

Although, that does not mean there is a shortage of business for tow trucks. India is a hot country with mountainous terrain and heavy rainfall. That combination is cause for vehicles to be overworked and overheated, in addition to the dangerous driving conditions that can lead to accidents. The need for towing services in these conditions is inevitable.

Indian drivers are unlike any other in the world. To an American, their traffic system appears to be complete chaos. It is a free-for-all. Drivers share the road without regard for lanes, turn signals, traffic lights, or even oncoming traffic. There is virtually no existing traffic enforcement in most parts of the country. Their most used safety feature is their horn. TIME Magazine calls it “India’s Great Wall of Sound”. Whenever a vehicle approaches an intersection, passes a truck, intends to move, merge, accelerate, brake, or just warn someone they lay on their horn. One noticeable advantage of their traffic system is that they are able to move quickly from one point to another very quickly in heavy traffic. The down side is that it is dangerous. Near misses in city traffic are are common, most vehicles coming within inches of each other at every intersection.

Of even greater concern are the poorly secured loads. These types of trucks are the primary means of logistics for goods around the country. The cargo trucks are loaded beyond their maximum capacity and marched down the highway to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Often the load protrudes the cargo area and is loaded unevenly, causing the vehicle to lean to one side. This Tata truck has obviously been overloaded on the drivers side, which would be a guaranteed traffic ticket in the U.S. and could end in disaster.

Those that can not afford to hire a delivery truck will transport their goods by any means available. Since traffic enforcement is not an issue, delivery drivers are free to pack as many goods into their vehicle as they can fit, without any method of securing the load. They also run the risk of operating a slow moving vehicle on a busy highway or in crowded city streets, which does not appear to bother them.

Because of the expense, many vehicle are not well maintained and can cause problems in traffic. Breakdowns are common, and many vehicles are pushed off highways by hand and are repaired while blocking a lane or on the shoulder. Road conditions are no help to the drivers. Many roads are made of dirt and most paved roads are riddled with potholes and cracking. It does not take long for the trucks to start to look like the roads. Trucks can only take a certain amount of abuse before their parts start to fail.

The same is true for tow trucks. A well maintained tow truck is less likely to fail during a critical situation. At Airport Towing, we pride ourselves on our well maintained equipment and do everything possible to prevent any type of mechanical failure on an incident scene. Unfortunately, there are those who will keep pulling with their unit until something finally gives way and breaks. Though some of these operators exist in the U.S., there are many more who are working with substandard equipment in third world countries across the globe.

In any industry, it is easily noticeable when a company takes care of their equipment. A company that displays good public image is easy to see, yet rarely praised for their efforts. One of the benefits of displaying professionalism is the positive image that reflects on the industry as a whole. Operating a clean and professional towing operation in India must be one of the greatest challenges of any profession in the country. Few are up to the task. For those that put forth the effort, we would like to express our gratitude. Indian tow truck operators have to work in dirty conditions and 100+ degree heat almost year round. We are thankful for their efforts and grateful that we have been blessed with a great opportunity to operate a successful towing company in the United States of America. During this season of Thanksgiving, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Hooked on Super Heavy Duty School

Three members of Airport Towing’s heavy recovery team participated in Super Heavy Duty Recovery School last month in Wenatchee, Washington. The classes were put on by the Towing & Recovery Association of Washington and hosted locally by Randy’s Towing. The Super Heavy Duty Certification earned by these heavy operators represents the highest level of achievement offered by TRAW.

Though many towing companies believe the only education a driver needs is experience (OJT), Airport Towing and other members of the Washington State Association believe differently. Clearly, there is no substitute for training. Participants are able to work in a controlled environment, and can take the time to work through scenarios, luxuries they do not have when on the scene of real working incidents.

TRAW’s Super Heavy Duty class includes classroom time and a final written exam, but the emphasis of the class is clearly geared toward hands-on training. Instructors work hard to stage large donated trucks, trailers, containers, and equipment in difficult geographical locations designed to challenge the tow operators. Throughout the class, the recoveries progress from simple winch-outs to basic tractor-trailer roll-overs, then on to more complicated situations.

Not only were students challenged with recovering heavy trucks that were thrown into the most precarious situations, but they were also given the realistic scenario of working through the night. Responding to accident recoveries in the middle of the night is nothing new to a tow truck operator, so the instructors decided to add the challenge of working in the dark during early morning hours without giving prior notice. The task was to recover a rolled over cement mixer, down an embankment, and off the main road. Through auxiliary lighting and careful rigging, the crew was able to safely recover the disabled vehicle.

Another scenario students were faced with  was to retrieve a heavy excavator, buried thoroughly in the mud to the point where the wheels were no longer visible. The class was broken up into two teams and students were asked to come up with a recovery plan that would get the job done most efficiently. Participants were given an opportunity to think on their feet, work in teams, and understand the limits of their equipment. From the working limit of the chain to the snatch block, the boom, cable, straps, shackles, and all other equipment must be considered when working a heavy recovery incident.

Students at Airport Towing observed that the value of working together as a team was the single most important lesson learned while working a heavy recovery incident. Their opportunity to train together helped the trio gain confidence in each other, which will increase efficiency while working together during real emergency operations. Just as any emergency scene responder has come to expect, tow truck operators must work quickly and in unison to be able to best serve the motoring public. Incidents need to be quickly analyzed and a plan for recovery operations must be implemented in a short period of time. This is especially true when heavy duty tow trucks are called on scene. Experience at work and training opportunities such as TRAW’s Super Heavy Tow School are the only way to prepare for such situations.

The location for the four day school and recovery class was at the Chelan County Fire District 1 training grounds. Fire departments are known for their level of expertise, directly related to their relentless training. Professional towing operators would love to have as much training as firefighters, but because towing is privately funded it is difficult to receive funding for training programs. Operators that donate equipment and drivers to these classes take a loss while their businesses operate short-handed.

This year TRAW was able to gain the support of 14 students who participated in the class and several instructors who were willing to volunteer their time for the benefit of the towing and recovery industry. Attending students came from all around the northwest to enhance their working knowledge of operating heavy equipment. Participating companies sending students included Airport Towing, Willette’s Towing, Pro Tow, Ron May Towing, Lakewood Towing, Randy’s Towing, Bethel Towing.

In addition to time and personnel donated to the super heavy duty class, several pieces of equipment were also donated to be used at the training facility. Airport Towing, as well as 3 other companies from Washington State sent heavy duty tow trucks to the Super Heavy Duty class, including Randy’s Towing of Wenatchee, Bethel Towing of Port Orchard, and Lakewood Towing near Tacoma. Randy’s Towing also provided a medium duty tow truck; George Washington Towing volunteered equipment transportation via a lowboy, and Nelson Truck volunteered the use of a new flatbed tow truck with side pull capabilities. Class instructors from TRAW included Rich Steele of Lincoln Towing, Keith Lewis of Pro Tow, Kurt Gillard of George Washington Towing, and Mike & Joanne Walcker. Visiting instructors from California were Bob Berry and Steve Cardineli.

Overall, the 2009 TRAW Super Heavy Duty Recovery School was a huge success thanks to the participation from regional towing companies, eager tow truck operators, and dedicated instructors. These participants are proud improve their professionalism and lead the way in our state’s towing and recovery operations.

Burien Kids Day 2009 is Fun for the Family

More than 1,000 people visited Burien Fire Station 28 last weekend to celebrate “Kids Day”, an annual community event organized by Fire District #2. The weather was perfect, large trucks were on display, and there were plenty of free hot dogs for everyone.

King County Fire District #2 (Burien/Normandy Park Fire) has established a tradition of hosting an event at Burien Fire Headquarters for kids and parents to learn about public safety and to have a fun filled Saturday at no cost to the individual. This is made possible through donations made by many local businesses and organizations. Airport & Burien Towing volunteered to help by transporting and donating vehicles for auto extrications, as well as displaying a 35 ton tow truck and a 1935 Ford hot rod tow truck from their antique collection.

Kids of all ages enjoyed the extensive variety of activities. Small diamater fire hoses and knock down fire displays were set up and operated by the SeaTac Explorers for young firefighters to enjoy. North Highline Fire District allowed families to tour their fire engines and pose in the seats for pictures. For the young kids with endless energy, inflatable toys were on site to help mom and dad get a little break while watching the kids burn off some calories. For those looking to learn about fire safety, Burien/Normandy Park firefighters taught interactive classes inside a 2 story smoke house, complete with emergency exits and lighted fire displays. Other activities included a candy search, free child identification bracelets, a helicopter landing by the King County Sherriff’s Office, prize drawings, face paintings, 100 foot high angle rescue show, multiple vehicle automobile extrications, along with many other fun things for kids to do and watch.

An auto extrication is a rescue scenario that includes the removal of persons who are trapped inside a vehicle. Some cars involved in accidents are so badly misshapen that the doors and windows will only open by use of excessive force. Because these types of accidents have become more common, local fire departments train firefighters to use heavy duty hydraulic tools to remove patients from vehicles. Burien Fire performed 2 auto extrications on vehicles donated by Burien & Airport Towing. The extrications are a main attraction, and typically the hilight of the day for spectators.

Airport Towing & Burien Towing have been donating cars to the Burien Fire Department for this type of training for many years. The photo above features Burien firefighters putting on an extrication display for Kids Day 1999. The Burien Fire Department plans on hosting Kids Day next year to continue the annual tradition. If the City of Burien acts quickly and secures a new location to replace their outdated station, the event may be held at a brand new fire station in 2010 or 2011.

Next Page »