County-Purchased Radio Helps In Rescue Of Firefighter
County-Purchased Radio Helps In Rescue Of Firefighter
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
County-Purchased Radio Helps In Rescue Of FirefighterOne of the radios purchased by the county with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for first responders played an important part in a firefighter getting help after a car crash.
Jadon E. Eichelberger, 21, Silver Lake, was traveling west in a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix at about 12:42 a.m. Friday on Ind. 14 near the intersection with County Farm Road, according to a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office crash report. He said he swerved to miss two deer when he lost control of the vehicle and left the road. The Pontiac overturned onto its top at the bottom of a ditch.
Eichelberger is a Silver Lake volunteer firefighter.
Sidney Fire Department Chief Kevin Wagoner said Eichelberger couldn’t get out of the vehicle. The cab of the car was half full of water, Wagoner said, and Eichelberger’s cell phone was somewhere in the water.
Eichelberger did find his county-purchased radio and radioed in for help. Sidney Fire Department responded to the call at 12:50 a.m.
Wagoner said while the radio was submerged in the water, it was due to the quality and brand of the radios that the county purchased for emergency services that Eichelberger was able to call for help.
Thirteen other firefighters spent about 10 minutes looking for him because the Eichelberger was disoriented and not sure where he was. The cold weather, along with his car having no lights, didn’t help the situation.
Parkview EMS checked him out at the scene, but he had no injuries. The KCSO report stated Eichelberger “felt like the side of his head was rubbed raw.”
Damage to the car was estimated at $5,000 to $10,000, according to the KCSO report.
