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What Is Wrong With People
I was just watching some of the news clips on here and saw where a firetruck collided with another vehicle and killed the three people in the car. There were two clips on the accident. In the first clip, a loved one of the driver of the car, said, "when we heard about it, we knew it was the fire department's fault, because we knew how she drove. She was always very careful." The media said that the firefighter ran a red light and collided with the vehicle while en route to a call. The second clip said that the investigation had revealed that the blood alcohol level of the driver of the car was 0.06 or 0.6, which was just within the limit. The fire truck was traveling at 47 m.p.h. in a 35 m.p.h. zone. A spokesman for the fire department said that he had been a driver for 28 years and probably would have done the same thing. He said that the rule is that they stop at all red lights and stop signs, but if they stopped at everyone of them then the public would be the one to suffer cause they would never make it there in time. Now, while I agree that the firefighter was in the wrong for running the red light, I don't agree that the whole blame should be placed on the fire department. Investigatiors said that her blood alcohol level was enough to slow her reaction time and judgement. By the sound of the family members in the clips, they sound like they may try to sue the department. I sympathezie for the victims and their family members, but while the firefighter was in the wrong for running the red light, the driver was in the wrong for drinking and driving. Here in the area I work in we have a sever problem with people speeding though m.v.a. scene that we are working, endangering our life's and their's. We also have a problem with people on the road that won't move to the side of the road for us even with our lights and sirens on. I have also seen motorist literally come within inches of taking our front bumper off while they were trying to cut us off for no apparent reason. What will it take for the public to have respect for us and the job we do? What ever happened to the old days of curiousity and respect for other people. This is just something that really gets to me, when someone is trying to tanish a fire department or the members of it, who by the way, literally walk through fire to save the life's of stranger's just like them everyday. And we read everyday about the firefighter's that have gave their life to save a total stranger or save their property. I pray for the victim's of that accident and their family's. I also pray that they will open their eyes up to not just what they want to see, but to the whole picture
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Yet, another bad ending to drivers who are indifferent to the hazards of driving.
Wesley, though I get upset with the driving actions of some, WE have no room to throw stones. Look at the thread about equipping our POVs with lights, lasers, sirens, wigwags. Why? So we can operate them like a police cruiser. So we can SPEED to either the fire station or directly to the scene. WE have just as many idiots in the fire service driving apparatus and POVs in a near negligent manner as the general motoring public.
AND we cannot find solice in the fact that the victim had a BAC of .06. DOT allows .04 to .05 and in most states, you aren't "impaired" until you hit .08.
IF the fire truck ran a red light and was speeding at the time, well, the family have every right to sue. Most reasonable and right-thinking people WILL, in most cases, yield to us, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
If drivers are getting too close to you at scenes, video is a great tool. Put a spotter out and anyone who speeds through the scene should have their license plate number written down and given to the cops. THEY WILL issue the person a notice to appear.
It's unfortunate that people have to die simply because we cannot exercise good judgment when we operate motor vehicles.
And that is a two way street.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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The version I heard, the driver has only 3 years on the job. The department SOP is to STOP for all red lights and stop signs. The victims had a green light. The truck involved was the third one through the intersection within seconds. They were going to a report of smoke in the hallway of an apartment building.
If these statements are all facts, then the AO should have stopped. What happened is why the SOPs are there in the first place.
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Permalink Reply by Lawrence W on
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I agree with you in many respects, but as you said above, we all need to see the whole picture.
A BAC of 0.06 is below the legal limit in the State of Maryland. So the driver of the SUV was indeed within the limits of the law. Last I checked, running a red light at 47 mph is illegal just about everywhere, including Baltimore City, regardless of emergency status. The policy is to stop at a red light, regardless of time of day for exactly this reason.
I personally do not believe in frivolous law suites, but in this case, the driver of the truck was wrong. There is no changing that. He was required by law and the policy of BCFD to stop at that light, and he didn't. Fault of the accident has been deemed to be that of the driver of the truck. I have not heard of any criminal charges being placed against the driver of the truck yet, but that is certainly a possibility.
We all have a responsibility to the safety of the public. This includes on scene, on the way to a scene, in our firehouses and in our personal vehicles responding to the firehouse (for those of us in rural volunteer districts). Their safety is important. Did running that light get them to the scene any faster in the above referenced case? I think not. They never made it to where they were dispatched. Does running that red light really get you there that much faster? Even where there is no resulting accident? It shaves what, a minute? A few seconds maybe? Is the risk really worth the reward?
I was taught a long time ago, an injured firefighter can save nothing. If we are injured or killed on the way to a call, what good are we to our public?
Please folks, take the time to keep your public, your crew and yourselves safe on every call every time. You are important to someone and your public demands it.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Hoey on
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Again I want to stand up and defend us and scream but the truth is when you hit the lights and sirens you are in charge of the road. Any and all intersection accidents are your fault ! Sorry to sound that way but thats fact the law of due re-guard is simple you are in-charge of the intersection and responsible for everyone in it. If your light is green and some one does not stop and hits you its still your job to have had control of the intersection. I hope others on the road yield and give the right of way but in fact many states have NO law saying anyone has to move out of the way of a emergency vehicle THE HAVE NO LAWS SAYING YOUR 10,000 BLUE STROBES ON YOUR POV MAKE IN AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE, Many areas the blue lights on a POV are no longer legal. Just understand the way you drive to a call can end your career and land you in Jail or kill someone Yes they have sent people to jail for their actions behind the wheel.
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Permalink Reply by Wesley King on
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Like I said, I sympathize with the victim's and their family's. And yes, I know that the driver of the fire truck was at fault for running the red light. My problem isn't totally with that incident. I only use it as an example of the many accidents I have seen involving fire department apparatus, and wonder how do you not see a big shiny red truck with red lights flashing all the way around it and a ear-screeching siren going coming down the road? Whether I am in the department's apparatus or my p.o.v., I always look both directions before turning at an intersection just cause of things like this that happen everyday. Taking for granted that just cause you have a green light and that opposite traffic is going to stop is crazy. And here in Louisiana, I know that according to E.M.S. personnel, the law states that if you don't move to the side of the road for an emergency vehicle that you can be issued a ticket or arrested. And as far as the lights on your p.o.v., I don't have them. I wouldn't put them in my vehicle even if we were allowed to. I try to obey the state laws while responding in my p.o.v. because of the fact that is harder to see me coming or my actions. But what I don't understand is why don't people have the common curiousity to get over when any emergency vehicle is coming? I mean, how would they feel if we were responding to a family member of theirs or even their house? And I want to once again point out that the purpose of this thread is not to bash the victim's of this incident or their family. I just can't comperhend driving down the road and saying , " I have the right away, or I am in no hurry, and that emergency vehicle is just gonna have to wait." And I don't care whether your blood acohol content is .01 or .08, driving after drinking is crazy. Here in louisiana, the law states that if you have had so much as a swallow of alcohol, it is against the law to drive.
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Permalink Reply by Kenneth Haught on
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A very well-written and to the point letter. We have the same problems in the area I respond, I've actually had people try to race our ambulance up the road. Fortunately our local law officers have the ability to ticket such foolishness if we can identify, but it makes you wonder how they would feel if it were their families in need and someone held us up.
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What would you suppose would be the odds that the car you hit in the intersection just may be someone from YOUR family? How righteous would you feel then?
Can't happen? Don't be foolish enough to believe that it couldn't happen.
Exercise due caution. The car you hit, may be your OWN!
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Permalink Reply by FF Schoen on
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I am sorry to sound brunt in saying this... but as a driver operator you do not have the right of way granted as a set in stone kind of thing...we are asking for it by getting behind someone with our lights and sirens that are blaring. It is a proven fact that you can outrun your own siren going over 50 mph. The driver I am sorry to say since I was not there made a bad decision in taking the red light at 47 mph. That was way too fast to slam through the red that ended up killing 3 inocent people...even though 1 of them was nearly drunk and should not have been driving in the first place.
After listening to the audio clip on this incident... the accident caused an even larger problem for those involved in BCFD. I am sorry for it happening.. My prayers are with the crew of Ladder 27. But it should not have happened. Please be safe and don't forget to stop and make sure that your intersection in cleared. You have to make it to the fire to fight it. God Bless You
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