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Firefighter Highway Safety - Putting Your Life On The Line *New Updated Video*
We've all been on them. Motor Vehicle Accidents on highways or roadways where there is minimal room to pull off the roadway. Why can't people pull over to another lane instead of scaring the daylights out of you because you never know if they are paying attention. After a near miss to me... I asked a California Highway Patrolman why he wouldn't cite someone who narrowly missed me while operating the pumps at the panel. I couldn't have sucked up closer to the panel when a car drove by with an elderly driver. I swear, he never saw me or was cognizant that I was there. Have you had any close calls on the highway?
Trucks are the worse, creating a vacuum as they drive by. I'd like to note here that we were parked as far as we could off the roadway and yet as you can see, there was no way that the apparatus operator could gain access to either the pump panel or get into the cab of the engine...
Trucks are the worse, creating a vacuum as they drive by. I'd like to note here that we were parked as far as we could off the roadway and yet as you can see, there was no way that the apparatus operator could gain access to either the pump panel or get into the cab of the engine...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Hopefully, soon, it will be a FEDERAL OFFENSE to hit personnel operating at the scene of a highway incident.
Make it compulsory in all fifty states.
Everyone deserves that protection.
The motoring public is way too casual when driving upon an emergency scene.
THEY aren't going to wake up.
WE have to shake them awake.
Contact your Washington representatives and insist that they support legislation that makes it a federal crime to crash into a scene.
Leave no doubt.
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Rob Bailey on
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Pa we have "THE MOVE OVER LAW" drivers must move to the far lane and slow down.I have been hit by a car while directing traffic the reason why is she was hungry and she pays taxes thats what her answer was.
Remember 1 thing NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ONTO TRAFFIC THATS WHEN THEY BITE YOU IN THE ASS.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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I certainly hope that law enforcement wrote this woman up and that she had both jail time and a hefty fine thrown at her. Contributing the comment about never turning your back is an awesome reminder here. I hope you were not injured after the vehicle hit you, but something tells me you got smacked pretty good. I'm glad you are still with us, and able to share your insight. ms
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What an awesome concept. It all starts with a dream...
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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Excellent video, Mike. This video could serve as an educational tool for motorists to see just what it looks like from our perspective! Should there have been a fire situation there, the engineeer would have been in grave danger trying to man the pump panel! I think California should adopt a "move over" law if they haven't already. Put the Governator to work on that.
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what's realy sad here Brian is that we do have that law now on the books, people just don't get it yet...
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A few weeks ago I saw the local and state police here sitting on the shoulder of the road with their lights flashing. Any vehicles that passed without moving over one lane were stopped and ticketed. They're really trying to send a message here. Perhaps they need to do that in your neck of the woods. In the last few days, I've actually witnessed motorists moving over one lane as they approach a traffic stop, of F.D. vehicle on the roadway. It's starting to work!
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It's clear in the video that the drivers in the left lane were not going to slow down and let anyone from the right lane merge.
People simply don't have any etiquette or common sense anymore. They are way too important and their time is so precious that an extra 15 seconds is going to make all the difference.
They don't care about us, because it's all about THEM.
Selfish *****s!
Never take your eye off of the traffic.
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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Proof in the pudding.. When is the last time you stepped up to a crosswalk and had someone stop right away for you? I waited today for over 3 minutes before an elderly gentleman stopped to allow me to cross. NO I wasn't wearing PPE, but it shows that people are all in a huge rush to get nowhere fast.
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My sentiment exactly Art. Here's what really blew me away, and from the lips of a California Highway Patrol Officer... seems that I had a near miss where I couldn't have sucked up closer to the pump panel than I did, and I still felt the passenger side mirror strike the back of my turnout coat. You know I said some serious prayers about then but I then realized that less than one-hundred feet away was the CHP officer. I was a little animated at the time and he told me that if I had been hit to remember that I would have been found at fault because I had caused the problem to begin with where my engine was parked. It was off the roadway, there was a clear view of the white line and I was parked on the shoulder, off the road. It makes no difference he said, I would have been liable for being the cause of the accident. And I was doing everything possible to stay out of the traffic lane. So, now I am convinced that I am going to take up a lane until law enforcement arrives to ensure that my crew, my engine or myself don't get smacked... and again, anyone who turns their back on traffic is issuing their own death sentence. People not only do not see you but if they do hit you, it's going to be partially your fault if you get hit... What's wrong with this picture?
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Want to turn some heads? Turn the Engine so it completely blocks a lane and a half of traffic and only operate out of the 1 lane. Use the other half lane to set up cones to taper traffic back into the grid. Shutting down a section of highway will make the CHP turn their heads and think a little better. YOUR lives depend on your safety, not motorists being able to freely navigate the highway without obstruction.
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Michael:
Not all of the idiots are behind the steering wheel.
Some of them wear badges.
Not long ago, out East, a firefighter was arrested, handcuffed, charged and then tried, because he refused a police officer's order to move the fire truck.
Guess what?
THE COP LOST.
No one in their right mind, who has a mother, brother, wife, kids or a pet will ask you to compromise your safety or the safety of your men/women for the sole purpose of keeping traffic moving.
The accidents are most likely caused by the same reckless driving as those who approach the scene of that accident. It's the domino effect.
Move the traffic over or shut it down. At least by shutting it down, you won't have gawkers causing wrecks from driving by trying to take a picture with their cell phone camera.
Around here, the cops are NOT the AHJ; the incident commander is.
And the law supports that.
When I was chief and responded to a MVA, the cops would get there and ASK what they could do to help. We had a little known perspective called "mutual respect". No chest thumping; no threats.
A very smooth operation, safely conducted.
Everyone goes home and we must do whatever that is, including refusing an order to risk lives.
Not in my world.
Ever.
TCSS.
Art
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