Fog can delay Valley emergency responders

A Turlock man suffered major injuries in a fog-related accident Tuesday morning. And the same thick fog that makes the roads more dangerous also delays or prevents emergency responders from getting to accident scenes.

“Fog definitely slows down emergency responders, too, even when we’re driving Code 3 (lights and sirens going),” said Officer Eric Parsons, spokesman for the California Highway Patrol. “If the fog’s thick enough, we are going to have to slow down our response.”

The same holds true for local police and fire departments.

“We have to slow down and be more cautious, just like other motorists; this can cause slight delays in our emergency responses,” Jessica Smart, spokeswoman for the Modesto Fire Department, said in an email.

Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves said that while officers train to drive in all kinds of hazardous conditions, “we’re dealing with everybody else on the road who may not go slower or may not take precaution.”

In Tuesday’s crash, there was no indication the CHP was delayed in getting to the scene, but passers-by helped a driver from his car after it caught fire.

According to the CHP, the crash occurred at 7:15 a.m. on Fulkerth Road west of Faith Home Road near Turlock. Mikayla McSweeney, 21, of Turlock was driving a 2015 Lexus west on Fulkerth when she tried to pass a car ahead of her going in the same direction.

At the same time, Oscar De La Cruz, 39, of Turlock was driving a 1996 Plymouth east on Fulkerth. McSweeney pulled into the path of De La Cruz, and the cars collided.

The Plymouth caught fire; passers-by removed De La Cruz. He was taken by ambulance to Doctors Medical Center for treatment. McSweeney was not hurt in the crash.

At the time of the collision, the CHP said, visibility was reduced to 200 feet.

The fog kept a medical helicopter from responding to the scene.

“We have to have a set amount of visibility before we can take off or land,” said Bill Baker, regional business director for Mercy Air. The company operates medical helicopters in Modesto and Merced. “These aircraft are VFR – visual flight rules. We can’t fly through clouds or above clouds or over water.”

A decision on whether to fly comes from the pilot of the helicopter in conjunction with staff at an operational control center.

“They will look at the flight and make a determination,” Baker said. “It’s kind of a double-check system.”

The capricious nature of the tule fog so common in the Northern San Joaquin Valley each winter makes for conditions that can vary greatly by area.

“We could come in to work today and it’d be clear as day here, but all the flight requests are in an area it would be socked in,” Baker said. And those circumstances can change abruptly.

“It’s very sporadic, based upon what we’re seeing on the day or even on the hour,” Baker said.

Fog in rural locations such as the Turlock crash scene tends to be even denser than in town, and that creates more problems for responders.

Jason Sorrick, director of communications for American Medical Response, said ambulance drivers have to limit their use of emergency lights in dense fog “because it actually has a blinding effect on our crews.”

He suggested the people who call an ambulance to their home can flick their porch lights on and off as they hear the crew arrive, or stand in a safe spot outside and do the same thing with a flashlight pointed up or down.

“Obviously, we would not be able to see the light from a far distance, but it will help in avoiding having our crews pass your location,” he said. He also suggested callers provide as much accurate information to 911 as they can.

“Any identifying landmarks or other detailed information individuals can relay to emergency dispatchers can be helpful in finding their location,” Sorrick said.

Tricky conditions will remain for the immediate future, with the National Weather Service predicting dense fog in the night and morning hours throughout the Northern San Joaquin Valley through at least Thursday.

Despite the regular warnings from law enforcement, foggy days such as Tuesday still see more than a few drivers operating vehicles without lights on, or going too fast for conditions. So emergency responders have to take extra care.

“We have to make sure that we get there,” said Graves, “or we’re not going to be able to provide any help.”

This story was originally published January 13, 2015 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Fog can delay Valley emergency responders."