Posted on 07/23/2005 11:31:32 AM PDT by Cowman
Fri Jul 22, 8:17 PM ET
ALBANY, N.Y. - Albany firefighters were tearing apart a minivan as part of a training exercise when someone noticed the personal items inside. That's when they realized they had trashed the wrong vehicle.
This week, Albany officials approved the city's share of the $12,000 bill for the 2002 Dodge Caravan that was mistakenly ripped open during a drill at a junk yard a year ago.
Officials say the firefighters routinely practice accident scene rescue techniques by tearing open donated junked cars. In June 2004, they were supposed to practice on an older vehicle located on another part of junk yard.
Instead, they used the Jaws of Life to tear open a three-year-old minivan that was at the business to undergo repairs.
The owner of the junk yard admitted its role in the mistake and is splitting the cost of the van with the fire department.
DOH!
It beats getting a warrant.
Clearly, it looked like a dodge.
OOPS
Does this mean the exercise was a success or a failure?
How much does that suck.
Hey, it was done in good faith. I hope they do not stop this training because of this.
No dodgin' this one,, ouch!
"...mistakenly ripped open during a drill at a junk yard a year ago."
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The owner has been waiting on the money a year! Wow!
Better than police shooting the wrong person, breaking in the wrong house, or doctors amputating the wrong part of a person's anatomy. Still, it's a shame, costly, and an embarassment for the fire department. As long as there are people, there will always be mistakes.
RE: "How much does that suck."
Actually, I wouldn't mind it happening to me. Instead of having to pay for the repairs that the shop was going to do, I get a new car for free!
OTOH, I recall hearing about a case where the fire department burned down the wrong house in a training exercise, now that would really suck!
This situation does not reflect on all firemen.
I had a great experience with the local fire dept. My house caught on fire and they saved the garage floor and the basement walls. ;-)
In firemen lingo thats called a Tennis court
I personally know a "training officer" from a small town department that supervised a live burn on a donated house.
He set it on fire 5 or 6 times as a training exercise. The pictures on the wall and the Tivo set for that night didn't slow them down one bit.
But they were one block off.
Raffles and Fish frys eventually got them back in the black. LOL
That is ridiculous. The owner should get punitive damages for the delay.
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