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Does your dept. have a pursuit policy?
According to authorities, the incident began shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday when the unidentified driver crashed into another car on Via de la Valle and then left the scene.
A Del Mar Fire Department engine arrived at the crash scene but could not find the white Mazda involved in the incident.
However, firefighters somehow saw the Mazda -- with part of its front smashed and missing a front tire -- driving on the freeway. Firefighters tried to stop the vehicle, but to no avail.
Authorities said firefighters turned on their lights and sirens and pursued the Mazda for nearly 12 miles, from Del Mar Heights Road to I-805 and Balboa Avenue, until a motorcyclist got in front of the Mazda and forced the driver to stop.
The firefighters did not say why they decided to chase the Mazda, but they said it was not a high-speed pursuit.
A representative for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, a separate department, told 10News: "It's not our policy to chase or follow vehicles. We do not instruct our firefighters to do something that could put them in danger. They are not law enforcement."
The California Highway Patrol is investigating whether the man was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Witnesses said the driver seemed disoriented and confused following the pursuit.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
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No written policy here. However, we just don't do it. We do not persue. It's as simple as picking up the radio and notifying LEO of the 5 W's. High speed or not, we are not law enforcement officials. As far as we are concerned, he's only refusing our help. I'm not going to chase him down so he can sign off on that. Law enforcement will find him eventually and radio us if he needs help (as long as he's still in our coverage area). They would have to ask us to fallow them. Then they can deal with the legalities of the incident, ie. hit and run and dangerous driving.....
Us, as firefighters, persuing vehicles in an event that could possible cause harm to us or someone else, would almost be like having LEO arriving on the scene of an accident and attempting to extricate, oh, I don't know,maybe someone trapped under a car, or something to that effect. Bad things can happen.
Does your dept. have a policy on this, Jay?
I am curious as well if there are departments out there that DO persuit.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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We don't "pursue", but there have been occasions where someone was followed a bit in order to relay information to dispatch like license plate number, make/model of vehicle etc. We would radio this info to dispatch and police would be notified and would have the necessary info.
I do know of an occasion where an ambulance pulled over a drunk driver. The car was swerving all over the road and the ambo officer called it in to dispatch, then had the driver turn on the lights and the guy pulled right over. The ambo waited until PD showed up.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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We do not pursue fleeing vehicles. There have been a few times when one of our vehicles followed at a safe distance, complying with all traffic laws in order to identify a violator to law enforcment when they arrived, but that's it.
In this day of road rage, having an unarmed pursuit of criminals or even road rage drivers is probably going to make the situation worse.
Potential bad outcomes:
Apparatus accidents
Shots fired by the fleeing perp
Perp runs over pedestrians
Perp strikes innocent 3rd-party vehicle
In general, get the license tag, a vehicle description and a location and direction of travel, and relay those to dispatch, then consider your part of the process to be complete.
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Permalink Reply by Olivia Jones on
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I dont know how other places are but I know in my area I have built a reputation with the unsavory locals for NOT BEING LEO. Because of this on more than one occasion I have gotten acurate information on things like ODs, drivers involved in hit and runs. Not to say I wouldnt ever call in LEO if I needed them, but I sure dont EVER act like I am one of them, and tell people that I am not the cops, cant arrest them, and its not my place to judge thier lives.
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Permalink Reply by 55 TRUCK on
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We don't have a policy for this. We like others have mentioned have followed and gotten info. There have been a couple occasions where the FD was involved with a pursuit.
The one that I recall went like this. Engine 03,squad 29,Medic03 get a call for a person shot. Control says patient is at corner of Raymond and State. Half way there control comes back"Units responding to shooting at State and Raymond, patient now north bound on State"
So everyone goes north on State. Then control says," ......Patient now East bound on Prospect" So of course everyone turns east. Control comes back. "......Patient is north bound on Woodlawn Ave" This went on for awhile.
What had happend was his couple were sitting in at the light on Raymond at State. The couple had a heated discussion over somthing. The girlfriend who was driving apparently didn't like responces given by her boyfriend who was sitting in the passanger seat. So she pulled out a .38 and shot him in the leg. He call 911 on his cell phone. She see's the cops coming and takes off.
So here you have 2 fire pieces, and Medic rig and I think 4 cop cars. Chasing these two through the city. at 11pm.
Love in the city, isn't it grand!
I would say that we would pursue, in cases where we believed others are in danger. Ie drunk gets on interstate going the wrong way etc. Then we would use our lights and sirens not to pull them over, more to worn other drivers.
We did have a instance a few yrs ago. A young women decided to commit suicide
by going the wrong way on I465 at 3am. Problem is she didn't just kill herself. In this case none of the cops could get to her fast enough. There have been others, a drunk and a confused elderly driver.
Do what you gotta do.
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