Concrete Mixer Truck Pulled to Safety
Specialized skills and seamless teamwork led to a disaster averted when a fully loaded concrete mixer truck was precariously balanced on the edge of an embankment, putting homes below at risk.
At 2:42PM on May 22, 2020 the Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to the 1400 block of N Av 57 in Highland Park to reports of a concrete mixer truck at risk of rolling down an embankment.
Upon arriving on scene, the first responding fire company sized up the dangerous situation and requested additional, technical rescue resources. LAFD Heavy Rescue worked closely with the Urban Search and Rescue crews to assess how to best stabilize the truck and then deployed rigging to secure it. Meanwhile, an evacuation of approximately 13 homes down below the hillside was ordered by the incident commander, Battalion Chief Gene Bednarchik. The Los Angeles Police Department led the evacuation process and secured the roads to prevent any traffic flow into the area.
Once the truck was secure, firefighters offloaded the concrete to lighten the load on the truck to make moving it easier. About two hours into the incident, the Heavy Rescue rig was able to safely pull the truck back onto the road with no injuries or damage to property.
