I start each shift by telling my driver the same thing, be it ambulance or engine.
"It's not our emergency. I want a warm lunch, a warm dinner and to go home safe in the morning. and the first two are negotiable."
The situation I presented on friday is a common one where I am. We don't have the fancy opticom (sounds like a kind of transformer to me) since it would likely trigger lights for blocks. We beta tested a nifty satellite monitoring device that read our GPS location and the intent of the driver based on the turn signal to change the trafic lights, bt it was always too slow.
Easier to put the proper tools in the hands of the driver.
My department has no written policy about emergency driving, other than that the Officer is responsible and the driver is to use caution. Thanks.
In this situation I hang back and shut down. There is no need to blare the horn and siren trying to ge the driver in the left hand turn lane to pull out into cross traffic. When the light turns green the lights go back on, when the lane is clear the siren as well.
If we needed to make a right hand turn here I will also reach out and wave at folks to stop.
If you said shut down and wait, you made my call.
*Usually a disclaimer about following your Department's policies would be warranted but this is the safest thing to do, so how can it be wrong?
"It's not our emergency. I want a warm lunch, a warm dinner and to go home safe in the morning. and the first two are negotiable."
The situation I presented on friday is a common one where I am. We don't have the fancy opticom (sounds like a kind of transformer to me) since it would likely trigger lights for blocks. We beta tested a nifty satellite monitoring device that read our GPS location and the intent of the driver based on the turn signal to change the trafic lights, bt it was always too slow.
Easier to put the proper tools in the hands of the driver.
My department has no written policy about emergency driving, other than that the Officer is responsible and the driver is to use caution. Thanks.
In this situation I hang back and shut down. There is no need to blare the horn and siren trying to ge the driver in the left hand turn lane to pull out into cross traffic. When the light turns green the lights go back on, when the lane is clear the siren as well.
If we needed to make a right hand turn here I will also reach out and wave at folks to stop.
If you said shut down and wait, you made my call.
*Usually a disclaimer about following your Department's policies would be warranted but this is the safest thing to do, so how can it be wrong?
Comments
I am also a big fan of always reminding my partners that I have two small children and they need a daddy.
Drive safe. Always.