getting passed while running lghts and sirens?

Last night while enroute to a field fire we almost got passed on the highway by an 18 wheeler. Only until he got almost in front of me did he realize what we were. Guess the loud sirens, and brights flashing ligths were not enough to know?? Maybe he just needed to read the door of the fire engine to know?? Has this happened to anyone else? How did you handle it? I called dispatch and let em know but not sure if they got him or not.

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Permalink Reply by Big White Dog on March 21, 2009 at 6:39pm

In parts of Cali, you don't run code on a freeway, it does no good! CalFire policy is to shut down everything except the rear deck once you hit the freeway on ramp. People do really stupid things when they see the lights and one these freeways, it can be disastrous. Back in the 70's I worked for what was then CDF riding on the back of an old "model 1" (CalFire has wildland engine "models", the model 1 is/was a small wild land engine w/ 300 -400 gal of water and carried up to 6 fire fighters, 4 in an open seat at the very rear of the rig). We would run to calls up I-80 toward Donner Pass. The engine could only do about 45 up hill and we begged the Captain to turn the lights off because EVERYONE was passing us! It was embarrassing!

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on March 21, 2009 at 11:54pm

But is it, the passing of a funeral procession, illegal? Do all such processions get Police escorts or just those of Police/Fire service members? If there is no specififc law, I'd see some pretty fair challengers to such Police action

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on March 22, 2009 at 12:13am

Gopher, the first part of the law that you quote covers approaching emergency vehicles - not emergency vehicles which are being approached. Semantics maybe, but I'm trying to think like a lawyer! So could be said to not apply to overtaking vehicles - in a multi-lane road at least.

Then I see that your law mentions the 500 feet distance.
66-7-361. Following fire apparatus and driving through safety zone prohibited.

A. The driver of any vehicle other than one on official business shall not follow any fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm closer than five hundred feet, or drive into or park such vehicle within the block where fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm.
I can also see a lawyer being able to make a good case if this occured on a multi-lane road and the overtaking vehicle was in a different lane. If you are travelling in a different lane, at a greater speed, can you be said to be 'following'?

To any readers. Remember, this is a discussion. I'm not trying to tell people they are wrong, just looking at things from a different angle. Here it is not illegal to overtake an emergency vehicle, we must simply not impede them, we must give way to them.