Editor's note: Chief Victor Conley will be presenting "Blocker Rigs: Traffic Management Apparatus" at Firehouse Expo, Sept. 14-16, in Columbus, OH.
One of the blocker rigs put in service by the Irving Fire Department in 2018 likely saved the lives of firefighters and others at a crash scene early Sunday.
Irving firefighters were called to a crash on Highway 183 near Highway 161 around 5:45 a.m.
Among the eight responding fire units was Blocker 2, which was positioned to protect firefighters, law enforcement and people involved in the crash.
As crews worked the scene, a car slammed into Blocker 2's rig, according to a statement from the Irving Fire Department.
Irving police arrested the driver for the suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The driver suffered minor injuries in the crash and no other injuries were reported in the second crash.
Fire Chief Victor Conley told Firehouse.com that this isn't the first time the city's blocker rigs have been struck at emergency scenes.
"I’d say the best thing about seeing an idea implemented that has the possibility of saving lives and front line apparatus is the total buy-in and ownership our personnel have dedicated to it," said Conley. "We are constantly tweaking our policies and they are now thinking outside the box on how to improve safety in this dangerous work zone."
After being checked out, Blocker 2 will continue to stay in service.
Monday morning, Chief Conley went to the fire station and added a sticker to the rig, which now has the designation of being a "road warrior."
