[tiger08]

I'm noticing more and more that ambulances are flipping on their lights and sirens to avoid sitting in certain traffic situations. At first I thought it was cancelled calls, which I'm sure happens often but this is a regular thing I'm seeing more and more.
I'm sure a little of it may be for training also but not near as much as I'm seeing lately.
It's bad enough that we have to hear sirens in this city 24/7 anyway but they are just adding to the noise, not to mention the stress and possible danger it puts on motorists at intersections and stop lights, who are trying to get out of their way.

I watched one do it again last night at Rainbow and Lake mead and sure enough, as soon as he got through one light, turned the corner and got through another congested light, he shut the lights and siren off.

[tadtam]

Cops do it to

[tiger08]

I'm seeing it much more lately with ambulances.

[von949]

Complain about it on FOX 5 rant. I'm sure someone in the industry will respond with an explanation. They usually do.




(╯°□°）╯ ︵ ┻━┻

[canadian citizen]

I spent a number of years ( nine to be exact ) working for the Toronto City Ambulance Service, the only EMS service in Canada's biggest city.

Even today, all the Toronto EMS vehicles, including supervisor's trucks, have a tachometer mounted on the dash board, that records speed, use of sirens, use of lights and time, on a card that is installed by the crew at the beginning of their shift, and at the end of the shift, their supervisor checks the card against the computer dispatch records. Complaints from the public are dealt with a check of the vehicle tachometer card, and a check of the vehicles calls and times of being dispatched.

Bottom line, it is proof positive of what speeds were being driven, at what time, and if the emergency system was on or off. The cards are legal evidence, in a court, to establish speed and time, and the use or none use of the emergency lights and or siren.

As a further point, here in Toronto, there is a standing order for all emergency services, including Fire Police, and EMS.... after 11 pm, no sirens are to be used, unless the call is a confirmed threat to life. Our Fire department's trucks are all equipped with a " coded strobe device ' on the front of the roof, that switches all the traffic lights to green, in the direction that the truck is travelling.

Could this be a solution to the complaint that EMS vehicles are abusing their lights and siren ?

The cost of a tachograph installed in a vehicle is about $400. To me it would have to be mandated state wide, to be effective, in Nevada.

Jim B.

Toronto.

[Kaiminani]

Seems like it ought to be a standard requirement for any vehicle equipped with sirens and emergency lights - cops too. If we are going to give these drivers the right to violate traffic laws then that privilege needs to come with increased accountability.

[NLVgal]

Back in the early nineties when I was an EMT, you went to the call with lights and sirens in most cases. After you picked up the patient, you used lights and sirens only to clear intersections and heavy traffic unless the patient was in immediate danger of dying, in which case you flew code three all the way.

The noise of the sirens is a proven stressor on patients, especially cardiac patients, so the use of the siren was avoided except when necessary.

That's not to say that no one ever abused the system because they wanted lunch NOW!

[oeccscclhjhn]

the majority of drivers don't know what to do when they hear / see the emergency lights / siren anyway. pull over and stop, what? move safely out of the way while at stop in a busy intersection, what?

[tiger08]

Originally Posted by f.2

the majority of drivers don't know what to do when they hear / see the emergency lights / siren anyway. pull over and stop, what? move safely out of the way while at stop in a busy intersection, what?

Sometimes you cant move safely out of the way at a busy intersection and I dont think motorists should be forced to move their vehicle into an intersection while their sitting at a red light. Seen a couple close calls with that one. Cops do that to people quite often.

[NLVgal]

If you are sitting at a red light, it's usually best just to stay put unless you can safely get over to the right. The ambulance will usually just go around you. What I hate is the fact that the sirens bounce off all the block walls we have around here and you can't always tell which direction the siren is coming from until the emergency vehicle is right on top of you.