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Interstate/Highway Safety
Speed limit 65 MPH, real speed of 70 MPH plus. What do you and your Department do for safety when responding and while on the side of the road?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rob Odenwald on
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We are allowed 10mph over the speed limit max. as long as it can be done safely, weather permitting etc. We make a complete stop at all intersections. When in doubt follow all posted traffic laws.
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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Good topic! We cover around 15 miles of a well traveled high speed Interstate. On all calls we roll 1 eng, governed at 68 it will do 70 downhill with the wind, and a heavy rescue it’s governed at 62, a lot of guys bitched about that when we got it, but with gearing and shift points, it takes about 5 miles for the eng to catch it. To a scene is not a big deal, other then it pisses you off that with lights and sirens, everyone still passes, well there are a couple of us that may use the center line for a guide. At the scene we park the eng, angled cross ways in the lane we are working, rear toward traffic and shoulder, this allows for a ricochet affect and may deflect vehicles away from you, set up cones and a sign, and above all else we dedicate 1 FF regardless of how short we are to watch oncoming traffic. This FF does a lot of swearing but his job is to cover our backs, if he yells, you head for cover. Oh, can’t forget the safety vests, everyone has one. We also have these new LED traffic wands, get some of these if you can, blue/red mutable flash patterns, best thing to come along in years. I should also mention that with all the close calls over the past couple of years, don’t know why, and didn’t seem that bad years ago; if we fell the least bit unsafe, we shut the road down.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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We respond to all MVA's with a Rescue Truck and an Engine...our Engine holds a crew of 5 (Non structure fire Engine)..it has 1000gallons on board...airpacks in the seats...and yes, the OSHA/ANSI II vests...SOG's has all apparatus parking on the same side of the road and we don't hesitate to shut the road down if we feel the need....a line is pulled...usually charged and manned with airpacked people...Fire personnel do the Extrication with EMS handling patient care....Mutual aid is put on standby if the operation will be long term....Fire Police are stationed to direct or redirect traffic and have radio contact with one another...Blocking vehicles are used.......Paul
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Paul, we use the type III vests, have found that at least for the….well….less proportioned individuals, when you turn sideways there is little visibility in the type II.
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I understand....but, in order for a "vest" to meet class III standards it would have to have sleeves...and wearing this over turn-out coat can prove to be a real pain.....per our State Police the class II quick release (rip away) vests are good...if fact that is what they use....The Fire Store has a great selection and theirs are even flame resistant....although I would never want to test that fact....LOL....Paul
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Ya the first ones we got, they did suck, but the new ones with the 5 point tearaway, the sleeves open up quit nicely.
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Cool....our vests are the 5 point as well.....wasn't pushing Fire Store in my post either....just they had what I was looking for.....LOL Paul
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Permalink Reply by robert roth on
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State laws govern us all and in EVO training we are told to get there fast, but safe. Road conditions and weather play a big role in this. Also if our company is going on a stand-by we are not to run with lights, this is done so that people don't rush to get out of our way. Remember what ever governs you it is done with yours and the publics safety in mind.
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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The 5 point tear away system seems to be the best I have seen also. They put the extra reflective on the back of apparatus, how long before the reflective is built into the entire turnout jacket? (rather than just a couple of stripes)
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just remember these 4 words.
Due Regard
True Emergency
These are the 2 phrases you will get asked in court if you caused a accident while on FD time.
Remember that the interpretation of a true emergency in your eyes and a jury's eyes are 2 different things.
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Even with the new vest worn in the state of Delaware we had a EMS/ Firefighter killedlast month. SO be on your "A" game when working on the roads.
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Permalink Reply by KARL on
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On my paid department we position our apparatus in a manner to block our crews that are working in the road way. If it means shutting the road down than that is what we do.
Vol. department we respond two engines and a rescue on the interstate and there again we use our apparatus as blockers. We want to make sure that we all return back to our families and friends just like we left.
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