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What to do at Controlled Intersections?
What are your thoughts on approaching an intersection with all lanes full of vehicles and a red light. it is too late to oppose. how do you handle this?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
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Ditto what Chief Sharp wrote. We're in the same type of situation quite often.
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Permalink Reply by ashfire on
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I was riding the right jump seat on a 71 Maxium F series during a rain storm. We were filling in at another station when we got a call back in our area. We were going down hill approuching a highway intersection from a two lane road.
The light in front of us was red full of cars and next thing was traffic coming at us in the opposite lane off the highway.
The career driver hit the brakes and spun the wheel which made the engine do a 180. He had tried to aim for a side street near the intersection but it didn't work. We had a crew on the backstep and both jump seats. All I could see was a curb coming and yelling NO NO NO and thought the engine would flip on the side I was on. We were lucky. The volunteer officer got out and check everyone before we got the engine turned around and headed the way we were going. I will tell you the driver was one heck of a guy to do what he did and not wreck the unit. That intersection had many accidents involving units from the fire station we were filling at over the years. Totaled a 100 ft tower and a heavy squad truck at different times.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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To not follow common sense rules to slow down at ALL intersections, confirming that it is clear both ways is nothing different than what you learned in drivers eduction. Just because you have lights and sirens, does not mean that people, including your own responding units can always see or hear you.
If you allow yourself to get in a comfort zone where you blow off common sense and safety... you will kill someone or maybe even yourself.
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CBz
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Permalink Reply by Kern Hicks on
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we shut down lights and sirens and wait for the green. We can oppose traffic if the lane is clear but no one has done so that I have seen.
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Permalink Reply by John on
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Fire Police clear most of the major intersections for us, for minor intersections people move for us most of the time.
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Permalink Reply by Jacob on
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well, if there is no way to get aroung them, there are a couple ways we approach it.. if it is a minor call (accident, no inj), we will hit the q brake, and keep the lights on, and just wait a sec.. but if it is a dier emergency, we will hit the horn, and lay on the q, and cut across, into the oncoming lane.. but thats a CARDIAC ARREST, or a STRUCTURE FIRE w/ ENTRAPMENT or something along those lines/..
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Permalink Reply by Todd on
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Honestly I have found at times the safest thing to do is take the the lane of opposite traffic because they have a clearer view of what is happening since it's in front of them and tend to react with less of a feeling of panic than someone who looks in the rear-view mirror and sees nothing but grill and lights.
We have several "pinch points" in our first due area where we routinely have to take that route, and at one of my older stations if we took a right out of the station going to a call from 0700-0900 on weekdays we automatically hit the oncoming lane simply because it required fewer cars to get out of the way. Two lane road and it wasn't uncommon for there to be a 3 mile long line of cars bumper to bumper during the two hour rush period.
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Obey the law that appliea to you, whatever it may be.
For us? No way through or past? Stop and wait - no matter what the call is. Shut down the siren,keeping the lights running. If it is safe, depending on the intersection, then I will cross over against the traffic and make my way through.
I'm with CBz - all intersection must be approached safely, lights and sirens doesn't make you invincible. (The video? If that happened here then both drivers would be in trouble.) The fact you face a green light doesn't make you safe.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Stay under control???
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I liked the busy part.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Owens on
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When all lanes are full of traffic and the light is red. I turn off the siren with the emergency lights remaining active, and stop in a position so that as soon as a lane opens up I can proceed.
Even when I have an open lane and a red light I still stop at the light with the emergency lights and siren on check all traffic directions and then proceed through the intersection. It is my opinon that pushing vehicles through intersections and running red lights is irresponsible.
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