First responders brave icy conditions to keep community safe

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — While some in the Cape Fear are able to stay home this week, first responders are hard at work keeping the community safe.

New Hanover County Fire Rescue has been working 24 hour shifts this week, with some firefighters sleeping at the station to stay off icy roads.

Battalion Chief Rudolph Shackleford said driving fire trucks in the snow is more challenging, but that crews are ready to respond.  

“They are still in hazardous conditions while they’re going to calls, so we make sure that they have good footing things like that, that they wear their protection gear—or PPE,” Shackleford explained. 

Shackleford is asking drivers to stay home if they can.  

“We are seeing a lot of wrecks, cars rolling off into the ditch,” he said. “The less people we have on the road, it’s safer for us and also our citizens.”   

Staff are also facing challenges at New Hanover County’s 911 Communications Center.  

“The biggest thing is that our staff that are here having to come in prior to their shifts, work and then stay here on-site,” Assistant Director Karen Benton said. “We’ve had to plan to make sure that we have enough staff to handle the emergencies.”  

Benton said the dispatch center has seen a sharp uptick in calls from people sliding or spinning out on the road.  

She noted the most dangerous roads are in areas that are elevated or in the shade.  

While sleeping at your office answering calls 12 hours a day isn’t easy, Benton said it comes with the territory.  

“We definitely understand that this is a sacrifice that everyone in public safety has to make,” she said. “We know when citizens need 911, whether it’s a fire truck, an ambulance, law enforcement assistance, someone’s got to be here to answer the call.”