A collaboration between three Butler County communities is the first in the region to provide a vehicle to be used exclusively to protect first responders at crash scenes.
West Chester Township, Monroe and Liberty Township have agreed to terms of a memorandum of understanding establishing a traffic incident management safety unit that would be dispatched to crash scenes whenever requested.
The agreement outlines the operation, costs, and responsibilities between the three departments.
A 1999 Sutphen pumper will be used to serve as a "blocker" vehicle at crash scenes on high speed roadways. It would be positioned on the perimeter of the working area to protect first responders or victims from getting hit as they are working.
Valued at under $8,000, the Sutphen would be less expensive to replace if hit, and less disruptive to a department than if a frontline vehicle used daily, were hit. “We’re going to be the first in the region to do this,’’ said Ethan Klussman, Liberty Township’s fire chief.