Harrods Creek Crisis Was Literally a Smoldering Crisis

This is a story about how one crisis turned into another one.

Harrods Creek Fire and Rescue in Prospect, Kentucky, is very close to the Ohio River. Station Two received a call on December 3 about a boat in distress. The firefighters made good time leaving the station and rushing to the river. Chief Kevin Tyler went to the scene and, when satisfied the situation was under control, stopped by the firehouse. A potential crisis on the river was averted.

But not at Station Two. Tyler found that a fire had spread from the kitchen cabinets into the living room. Apparently someone left food cooking on a stove. Firefighters can't return to ole' number two until it makes $80,000 in repairs.

"(Tyler) said he was embarrassed by having a fire in the firehouse. Because of it, both stations will now be outfitted with a system that will automatically turn off power to certain appliances when call signals come into the station and firefighters are dispatched, Tyler said." (http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012301080054)

The fire company's mission lists "safety first" at the top of its mission. (http://www.hcfd.org/Welcome.html) The red faces at Harrods Creek didn't get that way by standing too close to a fire. But adding automatic power turn-off is a smart move to prevent this crisis from recurring.

Remember that the crisis gods love irony. Be prepared. And learn from your crises.