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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 Mak FF5 on
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i think lights and sirens should be allowed only if the operator has an EVOC
in my county we cannot run hot with lights or sirens unless your a chief or captain
but if you respond pov to a scene,say a house fire, you can use strobes when the vehicle is parked so no one runs into your vehicle
i personally use my strobes as a courtesy and warning when im stopped at a scene or helping another motorist
but like most have said a lot of people abuse the lights and sirens and thats why i think having an EVOC is atleast one way to hold people accountable
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Raley WBFR306 on
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here in Georgia We have to get a permit Signed by the chief and its sent to the state and he have to get a permit for them we have a lot of guys on our department that have lights and sirens but no permit that run them if they get caught its a hefty fine. I have lighs and a siren in my POV do I use them on every call no. if Mrs murphy falls and is not hurt there is no reason on responding with the "blink blink flash flash and the woo woo wee wee" going (code 3) but if mrs murphy falls off the mountain then that to me would be a reason. everyone is talking about miss using them we just had a guy in the department that just got in trouble for miss using them, the story was that he passed a car going down the mountain on a double yellow line with his lights going had no siren and ran almost ran a car off the road way, for no reason not going to a call. for that person he will never get the oppertunity to get a lights and siren permit through our departmet. I thing that if the chief thinks you are a good driver and would ride to a call with you code 3 then you sould get one, if you live just down the road from the fire hall there is no need for you to have one, like me I live about 5 to 7 min form the fire hall i have found that running lights and siren has helped me out a lot because we dont have many driver for trucks and it just helps getting those driver to the hall a litte quicker. I do agree that you have to get there saftly because if you wreck on the way to the call you are no help at all
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Permalink Reply by Steve on
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Kentucky is the same way if you have lights you must have a siren. I dont have either any more i live close to the station if i make an off duty run i get here when i get here it's all common sence. Slow Down people speeding really dosent get you there that much quicker (only seconds) If you Dont beleive me time it.
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Permalink Reply by Doyle on
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I think for the most part we all are proffesionals, and should have the common sense enough to determine if we need to run lights and such or if regular driving will get us there in the same amount of time. I am on a rural department and also i work in the city, there are times when lights and apparatus is nice when getting from point a to point b. But know matter where you are you are always going to have the ricky rescue gut that has to get there first, and always the guy or gal that will give you there opinion on how the call should have been run. Just my thoughts
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Permalink Reply by Justin on
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Lights and Sirens are useful in a larger more populated area with many traffic lights and such. But lights and sirens should only be allowed for chief officers. I conducted a small study on how useful just blue lights in PA are. Lets just say that driving like a grandma to my station compared to driving like an ass(with lights) only saved me 40 seconds. Like I've seen before on these kinds of posts, too many people driving with their lights on and thinking they can do whatever they want. And I know cause I was one of them until I made the GOOD decision to get rid of em.
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Permalink Reply by John L. VanAuken on
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I see we are back on this thread again. I am a paid volly, and do use lights to some extent. Our state dose allow lights red or white only, and absolutly no sirens. In our Dept they dont realy allow or promote the use of lights other then your fourways, I am alowed to run the strobs on my Motorbike since bikes generaly dont have flashers. Our state dose allow you to go 5 or so over the speed limit, but not run stop lights, stop signs, and passing like an idiot. I do feel that lights are good to have if use them correctly and not abuse the privlege to have them. As said before our Dept dosent like the idea of lights, and only the Chiefs rig has them and a few of mine, due to the fact they are pilots and a service truck. I have used my lights to a few calls due to the fact I had to drive right past the call, so called in to bring my gear, and stayed on scene. That dosent happen that offten and we arnt allowed less told to drive to the call, we go to the station only. I do get away with a little more then some but I dont push the subject.
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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
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PHISSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Ben "Batman" Barry on
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I do believe that all vol. firefighters or vol. EMS service members should get lights and sirens. Some states allow it but it is only a curtosey light. I think it should be a mandated pull over light. We are responding to the call of service in our response area and should not be held up in our response just because of a luphole saying people do not have the obligation to pull over. Volunteers should get lights and sirens but with tough regulations.
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Permalink Reply by Trevor Dackow on
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Here in Manitoba, we are allowed to have red or red/white lights on our povs. The Highway Traffic Act gives us the authority to exceed and the speed limit and to disobey traffic control devices when en route to an emergency scene. However, the HTA says that we are still required to drive in a safe manner having due regard to road and traffic conditions. Other traffic is required to give way to us when safe to do so. I have noticed that when responding to calls, especially during daylight hours, that am alarming number of drivers never look in their rear view mirrors while driving. It is difficult to get their attention even using the horn. I think that part time on call / volunteer firefighters SHOULD be allowed to have both emergency lights and sirens on thier vehicles. However, there should be strict sanctions againt those who abuse their emergency equipment.
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Permalink Reply by Wayne Peterson on
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In Michigan the law ( PA 300 ) says that you must have Emergency Drivers Training, and Cheif's permission. If we run lights and sirens we must have both. Law says drive safe and prudent, and I AGREE. Use our heads, if you don't get there you can't help, applys to Fire Dept vehicles also. We have no speed limit in Michigan except safe and prudent. I don't always run lights and sirens. BE SAFE!
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Permalink Reply by Forsaken Firefighter on
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I think volunteers should be allowed to run lights and sirens in there P.O.V.s. If any thing it is a safety issue not to.... When we get toned out we have to go to the station then respond unless we respond P.O.V. Yes we are suppose to go 5 over the speed limit when going to the station but no one does. 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 because that adds more time to the response when minutes or even seconds can make a difference. When we are in or P.O.V.s no one lets you buy.... which slows you down and when you go to pass them they do not know what to expect from you nor do you know what to expect from them. 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. I am a storm spotter so when we are out we can not always take the trucks, with lights it would make us more viable in heavy rain. If the road is flooded we can block it and be visible, and if we witness a accident or something in that manner we can put the lights on and divert traffic while helping the people involved and protecting them and yourself until P.D., E.M.S., and F.D. gets there hence the safety aspect. It could be help full as well, when we do respond P.O.V. the lights let the people on seine know who you are, and then if needed there is another vehicle that can be used as traffic control. I do think there should be restrictions when it comes to the lights and sirens of-coerce.... For instance, the only time they should be used is when you get toned out, you should get on the radio and let dispatch know where you are coming from and if you are responding to the station or P.O.V., you should be required to put your call number on the vehicle in reflective tape so people know whose car it is and if you abuse the privilege people can give your number when they call and complain so they know who it was, and if you get caught abusing the lights and/or siren you should loose your privileges with the lights and siren for a set amount of time. Punish the people who DO abuse the lights and siren not every one else....
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