Sirens on the freeway

[Jigga1]

Im my department we protect about 15 miles of freeway. We respond with an Engine, Squad and shift supervisor, who is in a Chevy Tahoe. We just lay on every siren and airhorn in the trucks and calmly and safely take over lanes to get where we need to get to. I would rather have the siren on and people possibly hear it, than not have it on and nobody hear it. It seems to work very effectively.

Jigga1

[mdcook]

Short answer, they're useless for us.
Long answer, we cover the 12 miles of the New York State Thruway (I-90) for heavy rescue and since the traffic is going around 75 - 80 mph, they are passing us and they get to the scene before we do. Then we have to either drive on the shoulder or the median to get around the people that we in such a hurry to pass us that they created a parking lot.
We are lucky if traffic on the regular streets will yield to red lights and sirens. They certain don't on the Thruway.

[CCFRC13]

To avoid lidigation in civil or criminal liability use all equipment installed on your apparatus. Should become involved in a traffic crash and someone (lawyer or investigating police agency) ask were you using you emergency equipment at the time of the crash your answer would be "YES" aside of the fact that you "DO" outrun it. You as the driver have to realize that and driver accordingly.

[jta911hc]

Actually that is a true statement. At 60 mph the sound from your siren is about 5 feet behind you. Of course people standing still on the road will hear you, but cars are less likely to hear because their road noises increase also. Thats why lights are more effective at high speed than sound.
So take it easy and give them a chance to move.