As cooler temperatures set in and wet, windy weather picks up, it might be time to begin assessing driveway accessibility. Something that can often times impede emergency responders from reaching homes quickly—particularly in rural areas, are hard-to-access driveways. Due to adverse weather conditions that come with the cooler seasons, tree limbs often hang lower, or break off all together, making access difficult for large emergency vehicles, explained Blake Fleming, Special Operations Captain with Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue. With Gloucester and Mathews counties having more rural areas and longer driveways—sometimes a quarter mile or even longer—this can slow down responses to emergencies, he said. Recently there have been a few instances where his department has been required to park on the street during calls, farther away from homes. Fleming said that residents should try to ensure that driveways are kept open enough, both on the sides and above, that a large response vehic...