Warner Robins Fire reflects on freezing temps over weekend

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Where there’s an abundance of fire, the fire department will respond, and where there’s an abundance of water — a common fire extinguisher — the fire department responds, too.

That was the case recently, as below freezing temperatures swept through the county. As pipes burst and began to flood buildings, the Warner Robins Fire Department responded to numerous calls, reflecting on their busy holiday weekend with The Journal.

Lt. Russell Oakley, provided details, breaking down the scope of operations for the holiday weekend. In total, the fire department responded to 41 calls related to the weather: 15 on Christmas Eve, 17 on Christmas Day and nine more on Dec. 26.

Oakley estimated 75% of those cold weather calls were residential, both homes and apartment complexes. The other quarter was commercial businesses.

He said the majority of cold weather calls were ruptured pipes or busted sprinkler systems, and explained the impact the calls had on the community.

“We had several local businesses affected, to the point where they had their businesses flooded with 2–3 inches of water standing on the floor,” Oakley said. “It has caused a major business interruption for them. Obviously that affects the community, too, because they have to be closed.”

After a commercial water main break, the first order of business is finding out what is required of the fire department to ensure an accurate response.

“What it comes in initially, in a commercial structure, is some sort of fire alarm activation,” Oakley said. “When that happens, we send four engine companies and two ladder trucks because it’s a fire alarm activation. So, we don’t know exactly what the call entails other than a fire alarm being activated. Then once they get there, they can determine that it’s a leak.

“Then it’s isolating the water at the meter, and trying to mitigate any water damage that results from that, especially if it’s residential, say, an apartment complex. We want to mitigate it as quick as possible so the residents can get back into their apartments.”

The next step in the process is picking up the pieces, as Oakley explained.

“Obviously when we get in there, we have to shut the water off and do what we can to mitigate it from the front end, but then mitigation companies have to come in and all of that takes time — and time is money,” Oakley said.

Over the weekend, responding to water calls in below freezing air had challenges to overcome, mainly problems with ice formation, downed power lines and the physical stress of working in the cold.

“Every call is going to be a problem when it’s that cold,” Oakley said. ” … Any time you have to [work with] water, you’re having issues with water freezing. Obviously, the crews are being exposed to those extreme cold temperatures, so it is taxing on us from a manpower standpoint.”

To ensure the fire department can respond to all calls appropriately, Oakley said they train for all scenarios.

“If someone calls 911, there’s a good chance that the fire department is going to respond,” Oakley explained. “We take an ‘all hazards’ approach. It’s the fire department, but we pretty much respond to anything the community needs.”

In the case of another cold front sweeping through, Oakley had advice for the public to help prevent their water lines from breaking.

“Keep the water running. Let it slowly drip from faucets. Any spigots or any outdoor water supplies … try to keep those covered and out of the elements. Keep pipes covered if you have a sub-floor or a crawl space. You want to make sure those pipes are insulated,” Oakley said. “Be mindful of that and know where your water meter is at, so if you do have a leak, you can shut the water off quickly. That’s the key to the whole deal.”

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