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Date:         Wed, 8 Apr 1992 12:03:21 -0400
From:         KEN <KAK6279@RITVAX.BITNET>
Subject:      Emerg lights.

        I think that the idea of putting a law into effect won't change
response very much at all.  People simply either want to pull over for you or
they won't.  How many of you have been riding in a firetruck or ambulance
directly behind or beside someone for over half a mile without any luck in
getting them to pull over?
        After I moved up to Rochester (for school) from Westchester County
(borders NYC) I was surprised when people began to consistently pull over for
me.  I mean I would pull up to a stop sign and people on a mail street stop in
traffic and pull over for a blue light!  However, in any town, there are those
that don't.
        Last month, when responding to an automatic alarm, we were approaching
a fairly main intersection in our town and our captain pointed out a car that
looked unlikely to stop.  So with sirens wound up, the airhorn held down, and
the spotlight on the car, as soon as the light turned for her she went.  I mean
we had eye contact with this lady for the entire time she went around this
turn, and not only did we almost creamate her, but she didn't even hurry!
        And on monday, we sat on someone's rear quarter with sirens wailing for
half a mile in light traffic.  This guy not only wouldn't pull over, but he
blew the red light with us without even reducing speed.
        So a law mandating people to pull over for blue or green lighters is
probably pretty useless.  The only cure that I have found for our problem is
this.  For a fire department to be seen as very professional.  The people in
the town would probably want to pull over if they knew that their fire
department members were responding in a safe manner and are a well trained
team.  The department that I left at home dosen't enforce many driving rules
with members.  Members blow lights, speed, ect.  This looks bad!  Here in
Henrietta, any members reported excessively speeding are dealt with, and all
members are required to act entirely professional at all calls.  No exceptions.
Maybe that's not only why people pull over for us, but they entrust us with a
1.6 million dollar budget and 13 apparatus.
        And don't forget that there will be people who will never respect the
department.  Last year, when the department responded to RIT to put out a
structure fire that claimed a lounge, people wrote in complaints that the
lights from the rescue truck kept them awake.  I waiting for someone to
complain to me about something like that.

                                                FireMAN


----------------KB2AOH - Member ARRL- General Class Liscence--------------------
|Ken Kirchoff            |Henrietta Fire Dist.  |"Rescue 638, Engine 632 --    |
|CPU 1293 25 Andrews Dr. |Larchmont Vol. Amb.   |  We find 'em hot and         |
|Rochester, NY 14623     |R.I.T. Ambulance      |           leave 'em wet.     |
--------------------"I go to college...What do you do?"-------------------------

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                                "Trust me!"