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Volunteers with Lights and Sirens
What do you think, should volunteer firefighters be allowed to have and use lights and sirens in their POV ? Should only the Chief an ASST. Chief be allowed to have them ?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Justin Buck on
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I live in Hot Springs County, Arkansas we can run Red and white lights and sirens. Im on two depts and one one of the depts we have to have a 360 degrees of lights and a siren if you dont have that then you cant run code at all
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Permalink Reply by Davin Eshelman on
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Volunteers should only be allowed to use blue lights (if their state permits it). Cheifs and Asst. Cheifs should be allowed to use red lights and sirens. Just my opinion though.
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Permalink Reply by Alan McGuigan on
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In ontario canada we are allowed to run green lights as volunteers this applies to the chiefs of volunteer statiosn as well . we are not permited to run with red lights or sirens on our POV. It is extremely important to remind the volunteers that running with a light does not protect or exempt them from the rules of the road ( at least in ontario) and they can be charged if they do not obey the rules of the road and even worse if they should be in accident
I often get complaints from the residents we serve the police service or other emegency services that they witnessed a volunteer driving driving way beyond reasonable when respoding to a call. I am sure many of us all have stories or have heard of a tragic incident were a responder driving to fast to the scene or a call didnt make it to the call becuase they ended up in an accident , one of our guys hit a utility pole becasue he lost control driving too fast to the scene on a gravel road , I know of another situation the volunteer ended up hitting a person at the scene of a car accident killing them he was driving too fast responding to the call and couldnt stop
Yes it is important that we get to the scene in a timely mamner howver we must do it safely without putting anyone else in danger including ourselves
You might ask what does that all have to do with lights and sirens on POV well like anything there are those that will abuse the use of these emegency warning devices making them feel invincable and above the rules of the road. I have seen it first hand It is important that we continue to remind our members to obey the rules of the road drive with caution and arrive safely, Lights or no lights siren or no siren
I think that having lights can be helpful when responding to a call we just have to make sure thier use doesnt get abused.
Be safe and get there .
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Permalink Reply by Michael D.Penick on
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I am a Chief of a Volunteer dept. in Ohio and our members are allowed to run red lights and siren. Our written sop's clearly spell out rules for using them. They are not allowed to drive over 10 mph over the speed limit, use extreme caution, and not to use them if they are a long distance away for a response. If they abuse the privilege, they have the privilege taken away from them.
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lol
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Richmond on
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Sorry guys and gals but my vote is going for NO lights and sirens on POV's. I've been in this game since 1978 on both volunteer and paid departments in several states and have seen it all too often that when the tones drop many drivers loose control of their common sense. The amount of time saved heading to your station (call back or multiple alarm if you're paid or any call if you're volunteer) is minimal for the amount of extra liability that is incurred. Not to mention how we are looked at in the public eye if one of our members is driving like an idiot or has their $500.00 beater belching smoke on the way to the station with a shiny $1,000.00 warning system bolted to it. (it happens and you know it) Paid or volunteer we all serve the public and we need to be aware of not stepping on their toes because at the end of the day they are our employer.
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LMAO i about pee myself reading that!!! yea I do Ralph there is a few I know on mine and surrounding depts. I very rarely use my lights im less than a mile from one of our station. I do use my lights and siren on the interstate and another hwy that runs thru my district but I dont drive like a bat out of hell.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa Eastwood on
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In VA we are allowed to have one red light but no sirens. Honestly, the red light doesn't help a whole lot when you are trying to get to a scene. The best thing to do is take your time, you are no good to anyone if you get hurt or hurt someone else.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Dave,
You made a very strong argument, unfortunately (and ironically) you made it against what you proposed.
"If any thing it is a safety issue not to...." How is it a safety issue not running with lights and siren? That means that you are traveling flow of traffic and as such you are as safe as everyone else.
"Yes we are suppose to go 5 over the speed limit when going to the station but no one does. " I'm interpreting this statement to mean that you are allowed to go 5 mph over the limit but "no one does." So what you're saying is that people in your department are driving recklessly.
"The whole point is to get there or to the seine as fast as possible. Now if we are going to the station before we respond then we need to get there even faster..." Sorry, you're wrong. The whole point is TO GET THERE SAFELY. Otherwise, how can you help anyone?
"With lights and sirens they would move and you would be viable and audible from a distance letting others now you are coming and coming fast." This statement is both incorrect and stupid.
Far too often motorists don't even want to pull over (much less even see) oncoming emergency vehicles (BRT's) and you think they will do so for you in your POV? And your comment about "...coming and coming fast" indicates a degree of recklessness that makes you an accident waiting to happen.
Your attitude is one of complete disregard for the safety of everyone else on the road, not to mention your own. Please go and read the reports and stats here - http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/report.shtm and here - http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/ff_fat08.pdf
Your attitude is what causes firefighter fatalities while responding and returning. Too often firefighters are killed or injured as a result of either driving their POV's too fast or the rigs too fast. What you need to do is to slow down, drive sanely and show up at the station, or on scene so that you can work. Any accident you get into or cause is only going to reduce the available resources for the original incident to mitigate the one you just caused. How about using your head instead of lights and siren. Just a thought...
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Permalink Reply by Forsaken Firefighter on
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It is a simple discussion Ralph.... If you do not like what is being talked about then do not read it. There is no reason to start insulting people because they do not share the same views you do. Also you can not claim some one as dangerous unless you have seen there driving record and/or have seen the way they drive. I personally have 0 accidents and 0 tickets, I have run lights and sirens when I worked with law enforcement in Fl. so I do know what a deference they can make and so does any one who has responded with out them. You are just one of the guys that thinks you are above the rest because you are full time, well guess what Ralph.... we all do the same D@*^ job!!!! We do it for the people in our community not for a pay check and at my dept. we have the same training if not more (firefighter 1,2 and EMS).... So again if you do not like it fine but do not insult people whom you have never met. That is all I am going to say on this issue.
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Dave,
Read my response to you on the previous page.
"Also you can not claim some one as dangerous unless you have seen there driving record and/or have seen the way they drive." For 2008, 118 firefighters died in the line of duty. Of those, 21 died responding and 3 returning. That is 21% of the LODD for 2008. That is a significant number and I'll bet a large number of those LODD's thought they were excellent drivers too.
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