DO NOT PASS

Does anyone have trouble with people passing you when going on a call in an apparatus with lights & sirens?

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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on July 3, 2011 at 10:32pm
Is it illegal?

Certanly here in Aus, it's not. Provided they don't hinder us, then there's no issue. (And I'm sure we're not the only ones with a vehicle that can only (just) do the speed limit when there's a tail wind and we're pointing down a hill!!!)
Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on July 3, 2011 at 11:25pm
Difference is if you are talking driving on the highway or city street. If the rig can not keep up with the speed limit of say a highway, then shut the lights and sirens off. Doesn't make sense to have them on if you can't do the speed limit.
Permalink Reply by James snapp on July 3, 2011 at 11:41pm
I was doing 62-65 in a 60 mph zone. when they passed the little b!#@h had the dumbest (retard) look on her face, like "woow is that a fire truck?" (this just makes me so mad)
Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on July 4, 2011 at 12:07am
* It is not really a fight for the road.

* If they want to drive crazy, then let them on by so they get away from you.

* Since first off, we do not want to get into an accident enroute to a call or contribute to someone else making a driving error and causing an accident.

* So let the crazies get along, and if it is a really illegal matter, jot down their license plate # and report them to the PD. In my district, the PD would issue a ticket to a license plate #, based upon a report from an emergency vehicle - usually for a dangerous maneuver, reckless driving/road rage, or failure to yield.

I work at the court house, when parties are being aggressive, I think they should wait all day to have their case heard last so they can cool their jets BUT the court feels differently about it - the more aggressive/obnoxious you are - the faster they handle the case - to get those people done and out of the courthouse, so they can return to a safe rhythm within the court.

Likewise, let those aggressive/obnoxious people on their merry way so you can get back to the business of a safe rhythm of doing your job.

and you can't take it so personally, and get so pissed, you need to be the calm-headed one, it is a fact of life, not everyone fully understands basic traffic laws, let alone emergencies and emergency traffic
Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on July 4, 2011 at 12:41am
I was doing 62-65 in a 60 mph zone. when they passed the little b!#@h had the dumbest (retard) look on her face, like "woow is that a fire truck?" (this just makes me so mad)

And was there a ton of congestion on the road that lights and sirens was warranted? If not, is there really a reason to have them on if you really are going the speed limit anyway?

My point here is that we see many accidents and needless deaths and injuries and most are completely preventable. A fire engine just is not built to be used as a racecar and the additional weight of an emergency rig can affect how the rig handles. Statistics out there show that a response going lights and sirens and one without are quite comparable, you really are not saving that much time running hot, whereas you do put more risk at stake by doing so, especially at such a speed.

Lights and sirens are a warning device to alert people of an emergency, but they are not needed on every call. There is a concept called "sirencide" where a driver believes they must go faster because they have the lights and sirens on and that can lead to tragedies. Lights and sirens still don't give a right a way and an operator still has to drive with Due Regard. Such warning devices are best used to alert traffic on city streets and intersections where travel time can be impeded due to traffic, intersections, etc, it is a bit different at highway speeds.


I don't agree that any clown should have passed a rig responding lights and sirens, but let's face the fact that speed limits are not always adhered to. If you have a rig at highway speeds, it doesn't make much sense to be going lights and sirens either since you really are not saving time.
Permalink Reply by Marc Hansen on July 4, 2011 at 12:50am
Once had that happen during a winter storm, when the vehicle pulled along side we saw it was the salesmen that sold us our engine, rescue, and ladder truck!

Sometimes the best you can do is shrug your shoulders and remember that "stupid people keep us employed"
Permalink Reply by ashfire on July 4, 2011 at 5:20pm
Years back while running a call on a four lane highway we had a idiot driver pass our engine when we had people riding backstep and jump seats. Well we past them at the traffic light and they caught up with us and past us again. Well when they did it the second time a county police unit was at the next light and run them down and curbed them for the nice ticket.
We had another time when we had a car with a red light behind a light up vanity tag pass us while driving our ambulance. It was not a emergency light just some fancy custom look, but they thought it would be fun to pass us.
I also hate people who get right behind us and follow us on calls.
We had a tow truck right behind us not a car length from the backstep with a crew on the back and then we found out we were under power lines that were going to come down after a car ran into them and this idiot was right there and half drunk.
Permalink Reply by Barry Greer on July 4, 2011 at 9:47pm
We had a 4x4 International powered by a small six (people who wrote the specs didn't know better) and ran it second due on brush and car fires. On a hill, we were always passed and kept to the right to let traffic by. We got there when we got there, and getting there without causing an accident was better than racing through town trying to scare people to the side of the road.
Permalink Reply by Michael Meadows on July 4, 2011 at 10:45pm
John 65 in a 60 is going faster than the posted and warrented light and siren. Therefore the car had to be going faster than 65 likely around 70 miles an hour. In my case I would have notified dispatch and let the LEO handle it from there. If going up a hill and I'm going 58 in a 55 I will leave the lights and siren on because if you keep cutting the lights and siren off every time you slow down the pubilc complains because they A:think you are just playing with the siren or B:just an idiot. So even though it may not save a lot of time it does make sense. At least to me.
Permalink Reply by Ron King (Fire Chief) on July 4, 2011 at 11:19pm
It is what it is. Don't worry be happy!
Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on July 5, 2011 at 12:55am
Mike,
I understand, but the point I'm making here is if you are already going highway speed, then having lights and sirens on may not even be necessary. As it is people do some stupid stuff without lights and sirens going and do even more goofy things when they're on. When already going highway speeds, you really aren't saving time by having the lights and sirens on.
Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on July 5, 2011 at 11:41am
Happens a lot of the time in my neck of the woods...

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