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 ?
We do not allow members to use emergency lights while responding. Our members are expected to observe all traffic laws while responding. They may use their lights as a safety mechanism while on the scene of motor vehicle accidents or other incidents.
We are a Rural Dept. we only see the highway.... When we get a call we travel miles at a time in the rigs alone not to mention what it takes to get to one of the stations. Hell we only have 6 trucks right now..... We have 3 brush trucks, 2 tankers, and 1 pumper. Also I do not know about you but when I was working in Florida and a call came across the radio "Shots fired officer down!!!!" the lights can on and I and all the other officers were on the way as fast as possible, thankfully I only had to respond to that call 2 times. Now in my opinion why should the public not get the same treatment? If there is an officer, EMT, or firefighter in danger we get there ASAP, I think the public should have the same response if it was them. What makes our life's more important then there's? Yes we want to be safe but again, why should they not get the same response as if they where one of us?
As for what Justen said, yes, police drive like that down in Fl (not so much here) but they do have to be tested every so often and they can get get tickets just like every one else but they usually do not because of mutual respect they have for each other, I know in Fl. when a cop is in his/her P.O.V. and there tag gets run it tells the other cop who they are. Which I can understand and it was nice but at the same time it is not fare that they do not look out for firefighters and ems like they do for other cops.
here in ohio red and clear if you run lights you must have a siren also, i stop at all traffic control devices even if they are green, i go no more than 15mph over the limit, bad weather i slow way down to the limit, i agree there are some people that should not have lights and siren for their vehicles, i have been driving emergency for 22yrs now and my ride to the station under normal driving 15mins running hot 7.5mins i cant help anyone if i dont arrive
Check out this site - http://www.easywebcalculators.com/speeding.htm (note: assume avg. speed of traffic is posted limit.) At least you can figure out whether or not it's actually worth the risk to speed.
See when we get toned we run lights and sirens immediately unless we are told to downgrade. Here in KS from what our LT. has told us, when we are responding to calls we have no set speed limit and we do not need to stop at red lights or stop signs (we do any way for at least 3 seconds to make sure it is clear). We decide when the road gets shut down and when it is open again. The police can not make use open it if we feel it is not ready. Also to clear things up, I am not saying drive like an idiot.... I am simply saying drive with in your capabilities. The guy I usually respond with and I will not go over 50 MPH on a gravel road. On the high way that is different. Yes we drive over the speed limit but we only go as fast as we feel safe doing. There are some guys on the department that have do over 100 on the high way, I am not saying that is safe nor is it smart. What I am saying for P.O.V.s is the lights and sirens would make it easier. I mean would you want to respond in a truck to a fire with no lights or sirens, or for that manner want a dept. responding to your burning house, field, car crash.... with out lights and sirens? It would take quite a bit longer would it not? See like I said before, we are rural and we travel up to 70 miles to a seine in the trucks then when you add the distance we have to go to get to the station, for me it is over 2 miles from my house alone. All I am saying is it would be helpful.
Now there you go again insulting Ralph.... Again if you do not like what is being discussed then do not read it..... I know I am personally tired of getting insulted buy the likes of you.... If any one should open there eyes my friend it should be you, I nor any one else has insulted you and I know I have not gone into another chat and insulted people for there thoughts and ideas. Opinions are like @^*holes, every one has one and most of them stink. If you do not like it oh well you do not need to read it. So do not come in here and insult people for there opinions, you are acting like some teenager who has nothing better to do then to start a post war in some chat room. Just drop it and do not reed it if you do not like it. , it is that simple no one is forcing you to reed what we have to say or to listen to our ideas, so stop insulating people because they have a different opinion then you and grow the F#$^ UP!!!!
Ralph has scraped off more than his share of numbnuts that were driving too fast, I think he know from whence he speaks.
You're going to have to point out the significance (as you see it, anyway) of the youtube video. What I saw was some typical boner driving whacker videoing himself on the way to (what most likely was a non-emergency) call. Your point of that video? Or is that video yours?
I notice on your profile that you have "Less then 1" year experience and that your experience is a security guard. Seems a bit of a stretch to have called yourself a cop. But overall I believe that your attitude can be summed up nicely, and in your own words: "I love guns, fast cars, fast bikes, FMX, firefighting, pretty much any thing to give me a rush....:
"The rush you get when the tone drops...."
and the coup de grace (and I love this)
Top Issues Facing Responders:
"Lights and sirens on P.O.V.s, people not moving out of the way, and full time guys thinking they are better then volunteers when we all do the same job...."
So unless you can think of some other really good reason for promoting reckless driving, you argument holds no water with me. You do however make a good argument for immaturity and a wholesale argument why volunteers should not have lights or sirens. Apparently it causes them to drive with their penis instead of their brain. Now...that wasn't at all insulting, was it? Oh and by the way, your continued advocating for fast (and it goes without saying but I'll say it anyway) and reckless driving is an amazingly poor image to promote here, to the public and to those youngsters that come in here and hope someday to join a department. But then, I'm fairly confident you don't give a rats posterior about that, it's all about what you think is right for you. Have at it, spanky. Just don't kill some innocent person while you're getting your rush.
"so stop insulating people because they have a different opinion then you and grow the F#$^ UP!!!! "
Geeze Ralph, and Jack, I think "youse" been told! lol
I know I for one will never ever sit here and insulate anyone who has the years of experience and the knowledge of the job that this dude Dave has. OMG. Ralph, if you have an extra barf bag handy, I think I might need one too!
This guy makes Frederick look good!
As for the video it must have been the wrong one.... The one I meant to post was of the chief of some dept. that has the same views on the P.O.V. lights.... As for what I do and enjoy in my personal time has nothing to do with the job. I have been a thrill seeker most of my life and honestly you have to be in my opinion to do things like this. As for the whole cop aspect.... I never said I was a cop I have a federal Security Enforcement Officers license, I have worked in the Port of Tampa, at the Pinellas County Court house, Also with one agency as Anti Terrorism Officer or A.T.O. Also if you read what I said before "I am not saying drive like an idiot.... I am simply saying drive with in your capabilities. The guy I usually respond with and I will not go over 50 MPH on a gravel road. On the high way that is different. Yes we drive over the speed limit but we only go as fast as we feel safe doing. There are some guys on the department that have do over 100 on the high way, I am not saying that is safe nor is it smart." That is what I said.... I do not condone driving like a moron, I simply say drive with in your capability and do so safely. As for the experience.... I never claimed to know more then any one I simply speak my opinion and then Ralph, Your self, and now Brian feel the need to insult some one for there opinion, and to be honest.... I honestly hope I never have to work with any of you either, I do not say this often but I would refuse to work with any of you. You guys are nothing but hypocritical criticizing people for there opinions when you want to speak yours and have no one say they think you are wrong in there minds.... I am now going to just ignore what you guys have to say and go on with the discussion like an adult and not drop to your levels any more.