Police chase Fire Fighter responding to station for a call

[ozzyy1]

It is very common for my department to only have 1 or 2 guys show up for a call during the day.


I am not saying that driving an emergency vehicle gives you a right to drive recklessly. I am just saying that people are more critical of people in POVs than people driving EVs. Although reckless and careless driving is the same whether you are in a POV or EV, especially if someone is injured in an accident.


Most of our local LEOs know the vffs and are members of various departments around the county. So they are usually easy to get along with.

 

[CodeMan]

It is very common for my department to only have 1 or 2 guys show up for a call during the day.

I am not saying that driving an emergency vehicle gives you a right to drive recklessly. I am just saying that people are more critical of people in POVs than people driving EVs. Although reckless and careless driving is the same whether you are in a POV or EV, especially if someone is injured in an accident.


Most of our local LEOs know the vffs and are members of various departments around the county. So they are usually easy to get along with.

In this day and age it seems the general public is quick to complain on any vehicle with warning lights attached. You get to hear the calls of that police officer turned on his blue lights and siren to blow the red light, when in reality hes responding to a burglary in progress and doesn't want to scare the burglar away so he lights up at intersections near the scene on his way..


or


EXAMPLE: Dispatcher: 911 whats your emergency? Ms. Public, I just had this car pass me on the double yellow and forced on coming traffic cars off the road( they were yielding the right of way) his tag was BR549... Hes got lights and a siren and is going to kill someone.." Dispatcher: We will send it out to our units thank you for calling ma'am.

 

[ozzyy1]

That is true. Especially with many departments using unmarked cars, which POVs do look like to the unknowing public.

 

[thekameleon]

Yep. Born and raised in IL. State law puts rural departments like mine in a bad position to where we attempt to provide services to our community but lack the funding to purchase up to date equipment.

Its not just a rural problem. We still have a 1978 Mack that we heavily depend on. I do have mixed feelings thought, I get you don't want everyone out there running code in their POVs, but at the same time. What good does a truck do without the personnel?

 

[ozzyy1]

During weekdays we respond to the station always. Mainly because only a few guys will go to the call and we have 6 trucks (for 12 guys). Nights and weekends the closest guys get the trucks. And if the station is on the way to a call we get a truck. If the call is on the way to the station we stop at the scene and wait for a truck. Unless it is a structure fire, then we have to respond to the station and immediately call for mutual aid or MABAS. We are still discussing what we will do for medical calls.

 

[P1808]

IMHO~

It seems theres a very fine line regarding POV's responding Code, state to state.


I work as a Deputy in Florida and the laws pertaining to VFF is not as liberal as some of the northern states. They are allowed to have one red light front and one rear no siren and they are not allowed to clear traffic and traffic lights. They are also required to have signed letter from the chief and there Credentials with them at all times responding or not to give reason for mounted lights.


As for pulling them over, I have in one occasion and wrote a citation for careless driving. We had also had several complaints on this VFF and his vehicle for speeding, cutting people off, and running traffic signals. It probably didnt help his case when one of the people he ran off the road was the chief of police.

 

[Surgicalcric]

Thats because the idiots penning the laws have ever had to wait for the FD because they are stuck behind granny in the left lane. lol.

 

[CodeMan]

You left out the fact that we also have retirees from the other 48 states all move here for their golden years, and have given us the "Hanging Chad State Title" Or idiots that can't drive, But unlike IL our dead rarely vote in elections.. Jus sayin..

 

[jhallgren22]

I thought Florida was Gods waiting room... :dielaugh: :haha: or the devil, to hot down there in the summer.

 

[LineSpotter]

Fortunately our county/town LEOs monitor fire and know when we have POVs responding, it's the SP here that do not and will sometimes hassle responding VFFs. We also have state VFF plates that many of the guys use on their POVs.

 

[11b101abn]

EVOC or no lights.

 

[Station 3]

I hope you have professional liability insurance because hindering a F/F response that results or leads to further injury or loss, to a 3rd party, could be trouble.

Most of the time incidents like like become "manhood measuring" contests and nothing more.


Here's an example;


Chula Vista firefighter handcuffed by CHP officer says he was 'humiliated' inside cruiser - 10News.com KGTV ABC10 San Diego


RJ

So.... If I see a random vehicle with lights and sirens I cant pull it over?? Mr.Rhinojoe I live in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas where you don't know who is who and what is what. If I see a car I don't think looks right or if I see someone breaking the law im going to do my job as a Texas Peace Officer and pull you over and make sure everything is ok... I don't think the entire department is going to be hurt because 18 year old billy joe with his strobes is late for a call that's why they have other people... the world does not revolve around one firefighter.

 

[Iowamedic2013]

We have permits for lights here in Iowa and as I am fire and ems I can run blue and white and have to keep permits of both in my vehicle and some of the local shops that sell lights to vollies will actually ask to see the permit or actually call the chief...which I think is smart just in case someone tries to go after them for selling lights to unauthorized persons.

 

[Rhinojoe]

In this day and age it seems the general public is quick to complain on any vehicle with warning lights attached. You get to hear the calls of that police officer turned on his blue lights and siren to blow the red light, when in reality hes responding to a burglary in progress and doesn't want to scare the burglar away so he lights up at intersections near the scene on his way..

or


EXAMPLE: Dispatcher: 911 whats your emergency? Ms. Public, I just had this car pass me on the double yellow and forced on coming traffic cars off the road( they were yielding the right of way) his tag was BR549... Hes got lights and a siren and is going to kill someone.." Dispatcher: We will send it out to our units thank you for calling ma'am.

Here's a similarly related incident, with Blue-On-Blue went terribly bad. Several local PO's were fired or removed ALONG WITH THEIR SUPERVISOR.


It's reported that the Fed complied with all EVO Traffic Related laws and the subsequent traffic stop by the local Po's went down hill fast where the PO's assaulted the fed.


Jury awards federal agent $2.2 million | UTSanDiego.com

 

[MississippiPI]

It has been my experience that when responding to a call within my district, the local LEO and agency is aware of it--they usually dispatch us anyway. We still have an obligation to exercise due regard and abide by the traffic laws--just use common sense.


Be safe

 

[mm2k5]

It has been my experience that when responding to a call within my district, the local LEO and agency is aware of it--they usually dispatch us anyway. We still have an obligation to exercise due regard and abide by the traffic laws--just use common sense.

I guess that was the point I was trying to make before. Our city PD dispatches our FD, so the officers know of any city call, and we usually call the SO for the rural calls. If I'm driving crazy I can understand the need, but if I follow the traffic laws (like our blue light permit says to) I still stand by my point. I guess that's a benefit to living in a small community. Most any agency/dept knows most everyone else, and we just respond, do our job, then go home.

 

[Krsdog25]

If you are operating your vehicle in such a reckless manner as to draw the attention of a LEO to the point where they feel they need to intervene, you are operating on ego and ignoring your agency's mission.  Should your ego grow so large as to think that you're the only one who can save the day and you're obligation to stop for the police is negated by your holy mission, you will likely find yourself on the business end of a felony motor vehicle stop.  You will then be arrested and charged and no amount of public support or press coverage will change the fact that you now have a criminal record.  Bear in mind this is not ego but the simple fact that in the quest to save one or two people they have endangered dozens.  I have worked both sides of this equation and I know that this doesn't apply to 99% of the emergency personnel out there, but I post this as a caution to that 1%.  Remember that job number one is for everyone to go home safe.