City: "The Submerged Firetruck Was Not Ours!"

SAN ANGELO, TX — The fire truck found submerged in floodwaters next to the Bell Street overpass on the Houston Harte Expressway this morning did not belong to the San Angelo Fire Department—at least, not anymore.

According to San Angelo Police Chief Travis Griffith, the truck was a retired SAFD vehicle that had been sold to a volunteer fire department. How it ended up stranded in high water remains a mystery. Griffith noted that numerous volunteer fire departments and law enforcement officers from neighboring jurisdictions have converged on the area to assist with the flooding emergency.

From early this morning until the Concho River crested near Veribest around 5:30 p.m., the San Angelo Police Department fielded more than 1,000 calls for service—double the usual daily average of about 500. Griffith explained that about 60 percent of those calls resulted in active police responses, while many 9-1-1 calls during disasters tend to be duplicate reports. He estimated that 85 percent of his police force was actively engaged in handling incidents throughout the day.

Griffith did not speculate on how the fire truck and other vehicles became submerged at the Bell Street overpass. He noted that the intense rainfall and runoff into local streams and the Concho River led first responders, volunteers, and civilians to rescue numerous motorists trapped during the height of the flooding.

The Bell Street overpass sits roughly 3,000 feet east of where the East Ditch—or gully—crosses the Houston Harte Expressway. That drainage channel may have unleashed a surge of water onto the expressway. Even by noon, hours after the rain had stopped, the East Ditch remained a roaring river, funneling water from North Lake View southward. The expressway dips below the overpass, making it particularly vulnerable to flooding.

According to San Angelo Fire Chief Patrick Brody, although this pumper truck isn't his department's, the SAFD did lose two vehicles during flooding operations on July 4. 

"We had 1 type 1 fire engine (regular fire truck) and 1 type 6 brush truck (F-550). Both stalled out in the water. Hopefully not much damage," the fire chief said.