Post Your Comments: Fire Chief Runs Blocker for Responding Unit

Here's a video from YouTube posted a while ago that someone on the Watch Desk just posted a link to. It's a chief's vehicle running as a blocker ahead at intersections for a responding unit.

Then he speeds up as the unit passes and then blocks the next one...and so on.

What is your department's policy on this type of situation? If the responding engine/truck is already going at or above the posted speed limit, what must the chief officer be doing to from full stop, to pass it, and then speed ahead to block the next intersection.

Curious everyone's thoughts on this one ..

Stay safe! Web Chief

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Comment by Joel C Kelley on August 25, 2008 at 9:38pm: So many things about this, so many ways to run....
This type of procedure seems to add to the risk of running hot, rather than reducing the risk. It also implies that the Chief doesn't trust his company to drive in a prudent and defensive manner, which does not foster teamwork. The Chief in question needs to remember his job, arrive on scene and assume command and let the engine company do its job, unless the engine is full of Coors beer making a run to Texarkana!!! HA!

Comment by roy yoder on August 25, 2008 at 9:03pm: we run in rural and sometimes we have firefighters that are already in front of the engine that will stop traffic then fall in behind and on some occasions when escorting the tanker will pass the tanker to get the next crossroads. but our crossroads are about 1 mile apart at the closest. when we go thru town we get the pd to do it or it don't get down unless we have a firefighter that is already in front of the unit. this happens on long runs of 5 miles or greater. we have some runs up to 20 miles with the tanker and a lot of rural road. in town i feel this is dumb. in ga. the law says we can do anything we want with red lights and siren going as long as we do it with due regard to saftey of personnel and property. see if we turn on the red lights it dosen't matter if the light is green it is the engines fault if something happens. did not do it with due regard. you really need to look at how much time you save running red lights to not running them and change the traffic light from in the engine to clear the road. with short runs a lot of response could be quiet.

Comment by Arron Hester on August 25, 2008 at 8:23pm: I agree with Dan on the fact that he was wasnt really doing anything wrong, well nothing against protocol, he just did the wrong one. However, if he was thinking, and if the call that the unit was responding too was that important to where the Chief was breaching red lights to block the unit, then she should have called in local police, or made the unit take an alternate route (if possible) to reduce danger to the non-victim citizens, and the responding units (including the chief)

Comment by Damon Dyer on August 25, 2008 at 6:34pm: Glad it was not me.

Comment by Capkurt on August 25, 2008 at 5:09pm: Not too smart. They must not get a lot of runs because otherwise they might respond in a more controlled manner instead of like this is the first fire they ever went to.

Comment by brian bell on August 25, 2008 at 3:17pm: well i guess iys smart and stupid all together if some was to run in to a apparatus it just well be the car than the truck because its cheaper and less likely someone to be killed

Comment by Oldman on August 25, 2008 at 1:05pm: Web Chief is stirring the pot again. Got another mention on Statter 911. This used to be a common practice years ago (70s), except it was PD escorting ambulances. I always hated it when they did that. Never saw a Chief do it until this video.

Comment by Jim Brunelle Jr. on August 25, 2008 at 12:57pm: Well that definetly makes us look unprofessional, First thing that should be done, is that cowboy should lose the privilege of having a car and second he should be given a nice little unpaid vacation for unsafe actions. I totally agree with the above comments as to his job is to get to the scene,assess and report the conditions on scene and make proper requests.
Also as stated above our local PD and sheriffs will block intersections for us on exterme calls but they remain stationary at one intersection.
That was totally uncalled for. Reminds me of the video of the engine responding 2nd due to a car fire driving on medians,wrong way,and forcing vehicles offthe road.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmpIqoIDMdU

Comment by Bill Heizer F/F E.M/T.-P on August 25, 2008 at 12:33pm: After 30 plus years of running fire and ems responses in both rural and urban settings, putting two responding vehicles in the same vicinity usually causes a multitude of problems. Most of the time, the people will hear or see the first vehicle, but will not hear or see the second responding unit and most likely do stupid things when startled by the second responder. We have a policy the at least one city block will separate the responding units. Since this policy has ben placed into effect, the near-misses have been decreased

Comment by Dan on August 25, 2008 at 12:21pm: That guy should be kicked off the dept. That kind of driving is what gives us all bad names. I really hope that the person driving was not an officer for that dept. I also hope that this person is no longer driving. At the end of the video he did cut off a car that could have caused a wreck.