‘We’ve Become Accustomed To This’: OKC Fire Reflects On Responses During Icy Conditions In Metro

Two days of ice put a strain on Oklahoma City crews. Car crashes, water main breaks, and other emergencies kept them busy. 

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Fire Department saw a break in the action. However, they experienced emergencies around the clock after rain froze on the roads on Sunday night. “Our call board was full,” said Capt. Scott Douglas, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. "We were just trying to take care of the injury accidents." 

Douglas says the ice came as no surprise. “We’ve become accustomed to this,” Douglas said. “It’s been the talk of our fire department.” 

The weather didn’t come without forks in the road. A crash on Interstate 240 on Sunday night left a firefighter with minor injuries. “Had a vehicle come and strike two firetrucks,” Douglas said. “The cold weather can be challenging.” 

Oklahoma City utility crews repaired 86 emergency main and line breaks and 740 emergency shut-off assistance calls.   

Oklahoma City salt drivers like Richard Cole did their best to treat roads and bridges. "So, the citizens of Oklahoma City can make it to work safely,” Cole said. 

Fire teams equip fire trucks with chains to keep their trucks on the right track. “It’s definitely not a fast process so we wanna make sure we do it ahead of time,” Douglas said.  

Along with pumps to keep water from freezing. “Our drivers have to circulate that water,” Douglas said.  

Crews drove slowly when the roads were slick to avoid placing a response on ice. “Our response times are gonna suffer,” Douglas said. “We just wanna make sure we get to the call. Sometimes slow is fast.” 

Douglas said most people stayed home Sunday night which made travel easier for firefighters.