The Banks Fire District will tighten their checks and balances around which cars they demolish for training after inadvertently damaging a car parked at their station in Buxton that hadn't been donated for destruction.
For years, the Banks Fire District has accepted donor vehicles to use for training purposes. The district also works with a local tow company to rent vehicles for training.
In the past, the tow company has simply dropped off vehicles at Hornshuh Creek Station 14 in Buxton and notified the district they'd left them a vehicle.
In another part of the property entirely distinct from the donor vehicle area, the Banks Fire District has also permitted Asplundh and their subcontractors to park their personal vehicles while their crews work in the area.
But on September 2, disaster struck.
According to Banks Fire District spokesperson Scott Adams, someone affiliated with Asplundh or their contractors inadvertently parked a personal vehicle in the area that vehicles to be used for training are deposited.
Preparing for a demonstration for more than 30 OHSU doctors who'd come to participate in a training day featuring a Life Flight presentation, auto extrication and rope rescue, Banks Fire personnel removed the window and some moulding on the personal vehicle inadvertently parked there.
The car had "previous damage prior to the demo prep that Banks Fire did," the district said.
It was about this time that the driver of the vehicle returned.
"He was a little hot about 'what are you doing to my car,'" Adams said. The Washington County Sheriff's Office was called, but unneeded, Adams said, as the driver had cooled off by the time a deputy arrived. And since the incident had happened fully on district property, an accident report was unneeded.
Ultimately, the district decided to refer the incident to their insurance company make the driver whole. Adams said the vehicle was considered totaled.
To avoid such an incident in the future, the district plans to work with the tow company to mark vehicles that are to be used for training.
"The board has asked that there's a note of exactly which vehicles are to be donated," Adams said.
Adams also noted that the district is always looking for donor vehicles from the public. Donations must be coordinated in advance with the district by calling 503-324-6262. The vehicle must be transported to the station by the donor.
This story has been updated to clarify the vehicle donation process and the parking situation at the station.
