Highway Responses

When you're responding on a call via a highway (Interstate, state route, etc. Some sort of high-speed road), what kind of warning equipment do you have on? Do you run with the siren and lights on? Just headlight wigwags? No light bar, but front strobes? No siren? Nothing? What's your justification for using these?

With the usual traffic going 75 mph+, I usually leave my warning devices OFF until I come up close the to scene. It doesn't make much sense to go 55 mph in the right lane with your lights and sirens on. If you do happen to catch a slow moving vehicle, they now have to pull over in the breakdown lane.

We also try to restrict the number of personal vehicles that show up on the scene.

Some years ago, I ran with a station that had a substantial section of interstate highway in its first-due area. We always ran all lights/sirens on the highway just like we would on grade-level streets because:

1. The state vehicle code demands all-or-nothing...all warning devices in use when responding to an emergency, or a non-emergency response.

2. Lights don't only serve to clear traffic, they warn traffic behind you that you're on an emergency call and could pull over, stop, or whatever unexpectedly. They contribute safety even more if you're the SLOWEST thing on the road than if you're the fastest.

3. Use of warning devices tends to strengthen your case, should your rig be hit by some idiot on the roadway, both in terms of blame and in terms of civil liability. This doesn't protect you from your own mistakes or irresponsibility, though, if you cause an accident.

It will depend on who is driving and who is in charge that day. If Iam the driver I will leave everything turned on. What would happen if someone hits you or you hit them and you didnt have everything turned on. I dont want to take the chance.

Have a good day and be safe.

Joe

On the freeway, we normally leave the lights on and use the siren only if we approach slow moving traffic, or are approaching the scene (just to let any other services like the police we are almost there and could they clear the traffic for us). Our pumper keeps up with freeway traffic (110kph) on the flat and down hill (a little slower up hill).

One of the big things that I notice on responses on the interstate, regardless of lights and siren, is where to drive. I have found that as you approach a scene with the traffic backed up, if you are in the driving lane, there are those darn posts with reflectors along the right side. They can really do a job on your paint as you try to creep up to the scene. Try the median side, there are no posts except at a few curves.



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Pete Sinclair
Hartford, MI
sinclair@csi-net.net

We've never drawn up a policy, but I usually don't run siren on the interstate because no one else can hear it, and at that point it only interferes with in-cab conversation and radio communications. With the limited-access interstate, there is very little risk of cross-traffic (always allow the benefit of the doubt that some wacko in an ATV might cross the road!). As someone else mentioned earlier, however, I wouldn't hesitate to run up the siren to clear slower traffic or a mile or so out to announce our arrival to other companies/agencies already on scene. As long as I am close to traffic speed, all lights stay on. When not on the interstate, siren is on at all times in accordance with state law that says "all or nothing". We have a tanker, however, that has a bear of a time going up the mile-long grade just outside the fire station. Top speed is 25MPH up that hill (nowhere to gain momentum) and it is a 55MPH State Highway. Lights go off and people are allowed to pass as long as I am more than a mile or so from the scene, at least until I get back up to 45 or 50MPH.

I agree with Bob S. All or nothing. If we are responding to a call, it's all. Going home, nothing.

On the same subject. The use of flares:

We have a simple equation on the placement of the furthest flare from our operation.

The first digit of the approximate traffic speed, multiplied by the speed plus 90. (GOT IT?)

Try this:
The traffics speed is 70 mph.

7x70=490+90=580. This means the furthest flare should be approx. 580' from the operation.

Blind turns and hills or other topography not considered.

E229lt....Love the flare Idea never thought of it that way.....

To answer this post..I used to belong to a department that had both an Interstate Highway and the famous Jersey Turn-Pike Running through it...Our first due local contained these two areas....We ran lights and siren {as needed} to the incident left the lights on during the incident and returned to quarters with the rear rotaters on for safety...Traffic on Interstate Highways and Turn-Pikes is a mess in the first place at least in Southern Jersey so as many warning devices that can be used are a good idea....My current Company does not have an Interstate Highway in its local or mutial Aid Area but we do have Good Old Route 30 {White Horse Pike} which is good for about 30 to 40+ Accident calls for us a year not to mention car fires and structure responses along this route and we make full use of our warning devices when operating on this Philadelphia, Pa to the Jersey Shore Thru-Way

SC State Law requires all or nothing, so unless advised by the OIC to respond non-emergency, we run emergency. Yes....it's silly to be running lights and siren at the apparatus's governed speed when cars and trucks are breezing by us, but in today's lawsuit crazy world, I want to have all my ducks in a row in the event of the unforseen.

Wanted to follow up on my posting about running without lights and sirens when below highway speed. Another reason to turn them off, particularly on a two-lane road, is that people get confused. You need uniform understanding from other motorists, and that isn't going to happen. The result is about a third of the drivers play it safe and stay behind you at any speed. Then the idiots get impatient and try to pass. Passing single vehicles is OK, but what happens to us is the crazies pass four or five (or more) vehicles simultaneously, on top of having limited visibility around the fire truck. You never can tell what oncoming traffic might or might do, either. So the guy who wants to pass sees oncoming traffic pull over and figures he's got a clear shot, and then someone oncoming doesn't pull over. Having the varied mix of how people behave creates a lot of dangerous situations (about as smart as two-speed limit interstates - don't get me started). Consistency is the best thing, and everyone is safer if they all pass me - one at a time.

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Frank Billington, #11
Town of Superior Fire Online

In the state of Kentucky you have to run both your lights and siren. We run ours regardless of what type of road we are on.