COLORADO SPRINGS — As we are preparing for the winter storm ahead, the Colorado Springs Fire Department says they are making sure they are ready to respond to traffic accidents.
The winter weather makes it hard for travelers to navigate. While GPS apps can be helpful, they can also set you back.
Captain Mike Smaldino has been responding to accidents for several years in the Springs. He tells me to be aware when their GPS apps reroute them off a main road.
Sometimes these apps will take people through neighborhoods off main streets, causing drivers to get stuck. It’s getting more common for the Fire Department to have to rescue people from these spots. But they are equipped to handle it this week. They have depth with 23 fire stations to respond to this.
“So, we have experienced a lot more traffic accidents, it seems like. It’s always cyclical with us. Obviously, with storms that we have come in, the weather that we have that comes around here and we can anticipate that we are going to start seeing a lot more accidents here in the next couple of days with the snowstorm that is coming in,” said Smaldino.
“We are. We ran over 70,000 alarms last year and so for us, this is part of our daily duties so having a lot more traffic in town, you travel 1-25 and you get to see the amount of vehicles that are moving up and down.”
If you can stay home during a storm, it is recommended. If you find yourself sliding off the road, find a parking lot. And wait out the storm. Because of the possibility of carbon monoxide buildup, you’ll want to get out of your car and check your tailpipe for snow buildup.
They also say to pack an emergency kit in case you do get stuck. It seems simple, but a phone charger can go a long way. Smaldino tells me people will call for help but their phone dies before the Fire Department can hear back from them.
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