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Please yield for emergency vehicles
Flashing
red lights, big red fire trucks and screaming sirens that at times must seem
like they are coming from all directions.
For firefighters, it’s an everyday
occurrence that we have become accustomed to, but for the public, we
realize it can be very confusing and sometimes even scary.
More important, it can be dangerous,
not only for you but for the firefighters riding the calls.
Hopefully, we can clear up
some of the confusion by explaining our thought process when responding on
calls and helping you understand what you can do to assist each of us in
reaching our destination safely.
Several years ago, I was riding up
Main Street on a medical call when an older lady sitting in the middle turn
lane facing us suddenly whipped her car in front of us and stopped, blocking
both lanes.
One thing you should always remember
is that firetrucks do not stop quickly. Luckily I had an experienced
driver, and somehow he managed to get the truck stopped and maneuvered around
the lady so we could continue on the call. Other than both of us losing a few
years off our lives, no harm was done.
I have to admit, after I was finally
able to breathe again, I was angry. I was angry because she stopped in
front of me, but I was also angry because she scared me. That poor lady has
no idea how close she came to being seriously hurt.
In hindsight, I felt bad about being
angry because she simply panicked as so many people do.
When someone calls the fire
department, you can bet the person is having a bad day, so time can be very
important. Minutes and sometimes even seconds can affect the outcome of a
call, making it important to respond in a quick and safe manner. This is
where you can help.
The most important thing you can do
is to safely move to the right and come to a stop.
Now I promise you, we don’t expect
you to run into a ditch or climb a sidewalk to accomplish this. If
there is a wide area, you can move off the road and stop. If not, move to the
right as far as you can and stop. Let the firetruck move around you.
Another point I would like to make
is that firetrucks do not like to pass on the right. We consider this a very
dangerous maneuver. It can create confusion if we are in a position where we
have to pass you on the right and everyone else is moving to the right to let
us by.
We also understand that sometimes you
can get caught in a situation where you don’t know what to do. If this
happens to you, just stop where you are. The driver of the truck knows where
he needs to go, but he doesn’t know where you are going if you are still
moving.
One other thing you can do to
help is not stopping on the crest of a hill. This causes us to pass blindly,
creating a dangerous situation for all involved.
Hopefully by working together,
we can make responding to calls safer for you as well as our firefighters and
get the needed assistance to those who call.
24/7/365: You call; we respond.
KENNETH LEE KNIGHT is a battalion chief in the High Point Fire
Department. He can be contacted at kenneth.knight@highpointnc.gov.
 
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