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Snow drifts stranded several people on Frederick County's rural roads during the height of last week's blizzard, among them a group of volunteer firefighters from Carroll Manor Fire Company.

The difficulties the company faced trying to rescue stranded vehicles has led to a change in the way the company will handle snow emergencies in the future, Assistant Chief Andy Arnold said.

In addition to purchasing tire chains for all its equipment, he said the department is planning to meet to "come up with a strategy or action plan for responding for emergencies."

In total, two plow trucks, one owned by the fire company and the other by Frederick County, an SUV, a loader belonging to farmer Chuck Wade and the fire company's ladder truck were all stranded in snow drifts on Feb. 10, according to Assistant Chief Kipp Rule.

Arnold said he was headed out to help trapped civilian vehicles in an SUV when he got stuck.

"When I was driving, I was doing good [but] as soon as I got into wide open fields on both sides, I couldn't see with the wind blowing," he said. "I ran into a drift about 4 feet high."

Kipp Rule was driving the fire company's plow truck with fire company president Ed Arnold, Andy's father. He was able to navigate to the county plow vehicle, which got stuck attempting to rescue the stranded ladder truck and Andy's SUV.

They waited at the end of Oland Road near Md. Route 85 for an hour or two, according to Rule, to see if the county would be able to send additional equipment to aid in rescue operations.

"By then the snow had fallen and drifted so much that we got stuck," he said. "The plow was no match for the drifts."

The swirling winds of the storm made conditions dangerous, covering the roads with drifts.

"One time I got out of the truck to go to the bathroom, and the wind was blowing so hard, it was like a tornado," he said. "It took my hat off my head and spiraled it away. It was amazing."

Several rescue attempts were made, including by local farmers. Chuck Wade, who owns a sod farm in the area, attempted to rescue the stranded firemen with a large loader vehicle, but ended up sliding off the road and getting stuck himself. He joined the firemen in the plow truck.

"You couldn't see a foot in front of you," Wade said. "I've been in snows, I've done snow removal for years, [but] I've never seen anything like this. I was actually afraid."

A tow truck attempted to rescue the stuck ladder truck, but was unable to make it past the accumulated snow and stuck vehicles, according to Ed Arnold. He said the crew was stranded for seven hours, including five men in the extended cab pickup truck that serves as a plow vehicle.

"We were telling stories, just talking," Andy said. "Everybody just talked about past snowstorms [and] past calls. Seven hours is a long time."

Rule said they were able to make phone calls to loved ones to let them know they were OK.

"It wasn't very fun, none of us are too small anymore," Rule said, laughing.

Wade said the firefighters were lucky to be stranded together: "We were the lucky ones out there ..."

The group's cell phones and the truck's radio kept them in contact with the station, but they were still caught unaware when farmer Scott Hipkins came to their aid with his tractor. He was able to hitch the vehicle to the truck and tow it back to the station, Ed Arnold said.

"That's the kind of community we live in," Andy Arnold said. "Everybody helps everybody. Thankfully we've got some farmers in our area who love the fire department [and] go above and beyond all the time for us."

But even after Hipkins arrived, the snow continued to swirl.

"As Scott [Hipkins] was pulling us back to the fire house, he had a 10-12 foot chain pulling us, and we couldn't see his truck," Rule said.

The conditions forced the fire company to leave the ladder truck overnight, which has taken it out of service for "an unknown amount of time," according to Rule. "The pumps and everything controlled by water froze and expanded and busted up," he said.

E-mail reporter Tripp Laino at tlaino@gazette.net.