Complete 100% stop at intersections?

[BoxAlarm187]

I have to agree with the stopping for green lights idea. It causes confusion for the motoring public, and what does it accomplish? What happens when you stop (for a green light) in the left lane, and the citizens pass you on the right, following the traffic signal?

One answer to this? Opticom!

[Jonnee]

What does the state laws in your state say about speed and traffic signals and signs???


That is what you need to be concern with. If the department has rules and regulations about traffic signals and signs, saying that you must come to a complete stop and wait for the traffic to YIELD to the apparatus, then that is what you need to go by.

If you fail to stop for a red traffic signal and bust throught and are involved in an accident. Heaven help you, the officer and the department. I sure hope you have insurance and deep pockets to help you out.

Can you live with yourself, with killing someone, by running a red traffic signal and being in an fatal accident???? This includes other members on the apparatus too, should you kill them!!

[nnymilfire]

I asked this question because our chief has mandated a 100% complete stop. I mean a total stoppage of the wheels and all motion forward. Always. There are many areas where it is not neccassery(spelling). There are many stop lights and stop signs in my city where I work. There are many where you can see in all directions clearly for long distances, slowing down to a safe speed and proceeding through with caution is sufficient. The law does not require a complete stop, but we must use due caution. I totally understand if I go through a red light and hit someone its my fault. I have been driving emergency vehicles long enough to know when its safe slow down and when to stop completely.
Oh and I must say, stopping at a greenlight is dangerous and silly to even think about. It just causes the other drivers to be confused as to what to do.

[timmy2tone]

ask the driver in baltimore he'll give you the best answer. not trying to start $hit. stop 100% of the time.

I could not have put it better myself. I read about this a bit ago. I drive a ladder truck for my department and I had an acting in officer a while back that gave me **** for stopping at a red light @ 300 am as a wound up the siren and blasted the air horn (really his job but, you know how this goes). He said "I bet the neigbors love that" in a sarcastic manner refering to the noise the Siren and airhorns were making, and I replied "F#@* em' We're up, they're up, their tax dollars @ work". This trucks weighs in @ about 65,000 lbs and I would rather not blast through a light and hit a motorist or, my luck, a bus full of orphans. RED LIGHT=STOP or SLOW ENOUGH (below 5 mph) to stop if need be. Once again, it all comes down to when it happens and what you did to prevent it.

[onebugle]

We must abide by the following state law which includes stopping for a school bus when picking up/dropping off students:

The driver of a vehicle of a fire, police or recognized protective department and the driver of an ambulance shall be subject to the provisions of any statute, rule, regulation, ordinance or by-law relating to the operation or parking of vehicles, except that a driver of fire apparatus while going to a fire or responding to an alarm, or the driver of a vehicle of a police or recognized protective department or the driver of an ambulance, in an emergency and while in performance of a public duty or while transporting a sick or injured person to a hospital or other destination where professional medical services are available, may drive such vehicle at a speed in excess of the applicable speed limit if he exercises caution and due regard under the circumstances for the safety of persons and property, and may drive such vehicle through an intersection of ways contrary to any traffic signs or signals regulating traffic at such intersection if he first brings such vehicle to a full stop and then proceeds with caution and due regard for the safety of persons and property, unless otherwise directed by a police officer regulating traffic at such intersection. The driver of any such approaching emergency vehicle shall comply with the provisions of section fourteen of chapter ninety when approaching a school bus which has stopped to allow passengers to alight or board from the same, and whose red lamps are flashing.

[Chief1FF]

Let's make this very simple!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To run a red light or stop sign is just plain stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!

Slowing down at intersections when you have the green light is just good common sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There simple and to the point.

Mark

[fireman4949]

Let's make this very simple!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To run a red light or stop sign is just plain stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!

Slowing down at intersections when you have the green light is just good common sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There simple and to the point.

Mark

Out of curiousuty, do you slow down at green lights in your personal vehicle?

You may very well be one of those drivers that I swear at when I'm behind them in traffic.

[fireslayer123]

Stop at the intersection even if it is green, then proceed with caution. Red lights and sirens guarantee nothing.

I'm still scratching my head over that one.

[Chief1FF]

Out of curiousuty, do you slow down at green lights in your personal vehicle?

You may very well be one of those drivers that I swear at when I'm behind them in traffic.

You must be the guy behind me who is always giving me the NUMBER 1 sign

If I come to an intersection with a green light that I did not see turn green I will prepare to slow down if the light starts to change by letting off the gas until I get to the intersection then I will hit the gas again!

Mark

[mcaldwell]

Out of curiousuty, do you slow down at green lights in your personal vehicle?

You may very well be one of those drivers that I swear at when I'm behind them in traffic.

I'll answer that in parrallel:

No,

BUT I'm not doing 15-20 KPH over the posted limit either, which is common practice in an emergency vehicle.

It only makes sense to slow a little and take a good defensive look, perhaps only the posted limit, but even that little bit will improve your reaction time and stopping distance should somebody try to turn right on a red, or miss the stop all together.

Even offensive Emergency Driving has a great deal of defense in it.

[UFDFF15]

In the commonwealth of Massachusetts the law states all emergency apparatus are to come to a full and complete stop at all Red lights and stop signs regardless of traffic condition. I beleive with is one other state that just recently adopted the same law.

[wconlon53]

Here is another beautiful example of "red light ricky's"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6fmT9WjnDw

This is beyond unnaceptable...look at how long the light was green in the opposing direction, I'm pretty sure the engineer never touched the brakes either.

Here's another one from youtube. You can't see what color the traffic lights are,but another story of a truck almost not making it to the scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlQ0t...eature=related

[dday05]

I will play since someone started this up again. My buddy sent me this. I believe it has been on here before and I feel this could have been bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A5lud7-cJo

[firefighter105]

Let's make this very simple!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To run a red light or stop sign is just plain stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!

Slowing down at intersections when you have the green light is just good common sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There simple and to the point.

Mark

Amen Chief. This is how I drive in my career (paramedic) and in my volunteer career (firefighter). I can't count the times that I have had the green light, and I was going code to a 911 call as a medic when someone has pulled out in front of me on a "right turn on red" intersection. So I slow down even in the Green light to a safe enough speed to help my reaction time. For red Lights/stop signs. Stop every time. No exceptions. Guarantees that my partner, myself and every other person around me at that particular controlled intersection goes home to family safely.

stay safe out there. You aren't any good to anyone if you don't make it to the scene at all. The extra "seconds" aren't worth the life of everyone you are in contact with.

Be safe.
J

[1OLDTIMER]

The Massillon, OH. Fire Department’s standard operating procedures for vehicle operations state that drivers should come to a complete stop at a red light only when directed to do so by a law enforcement officer, at blind intersections, when all lanes of traffic cannot be accounted for, or when encountering a stopped school bus with flashing warning lights.
“The due regard to the safety of others shall be paramount at all times,” the guidelines state.

Both the Canton, OH. and Jackson Township, OH. fire departments require their drivers to come to a near stop at a red light or stop sign during an emergency run.
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note: This was recently made public due to a double fatal accident involving a Quint in Massillon.

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