First responders"The Dragon" makes life difficult for first responders

For emergency personnel in Tennessee, responding to calls on “The Dragon,” an unforgiving 11.1 mile stretch of highway, is no easy task.

The Dragon consists of 318 sharp curves through hilly terrain making it treacherous for drivers, especially in winter months, but also a race course for thrill-seeking speed demons. Each year there are several fatal crashes and since 2005 the desolate road has been the scene of at least forty injury crashes a year.

Assisting the injured and enforcing the law has proven particularly challenging as radio and cell phone service is nonexistent in many parts of the Dragon, and Blount Memorial Hospital is more than an hour away.

“There’s a lot of obstacles for law enforcement,” said Sergeant Randy Huckeby of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

According to Huckeby, the agency’s low-band radios have poor reception throughout much of the road. “In many areas, we can’t get back to the dispatchers. It’s a safety issue for troopers up there,” he said.

To help overcome this challenge, troopers try to notify dispatchers ahead of time before entering these areas as well as using local dispatchers to send information to state dispatchers.

In addition, the remote location of the road makes quick response times nearly impossible.

“It’s a remote, rural area. So, our response times will be longer. The location also means it’s a long way to a hospital,” explained Rob Webb, the general manager for the East Tennessee division of the Rural/Metro Ambulance Service.

Meanwhile, law enforcement must wait thirty to forty-five minutes for backup to arrive if a patrolman needs assistance.

Aside from poor reception and distance, the Dragon’s topography makes performing simple tasks like pulling over a dangerous endeavor.

For instance, state troopers have a limited number of areas where they can perform stationary radar checks and there are also few places to turn around if they detect a speeder while driving.

The steep embankments along the road also make it especially challenging for firefighters to perform rescues let alone arrive in time with their large trucks.

Blount County fire chief Doug McClanahan said his department is often called to perform rescues of individuals who have gone over the embankment.

“They can be a few feet over the edge or hundreds of feet. So, we have to perform rope rescues on an unsteady bank with trees and rocks. It’s very treacherous and endangers the first responders and victims,” McClanahan said.

The fire chief added that firefighters have to contend with traffic as well as motorcycles and vehicles passing them. “It hinders our response and becomes risky for personnel negotiating curves,” he said.

As difficult and dangerous as the Dragon may be, emergency responders have little choice but to continue pushing ahead to ensure the safety of the road’s travelers.

“Emergency services are a challenge every day because what we do is never the same. The Dragon is just another piece of the puzzle for us,” McClanahan said.