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(OT) Fire truck vs Ambulance good question for you firefight

C

cadet trooper

Well-known Member
I"ve got a question for all you firefighter and EMS guys and God Bless you all! Now if a firetruck arrives at a traffic light at the same time a non fire EMS ambulance does responding to an emergency who has the right of way? I"m not saying what I was told. I think it is a good question on a snowy night. CT
 
I would have to say the ambulance has right of way - life over limb. As a firefighter I would want them there first to stage for lifesaving measures. The nearby city department ambulance and firetruck always roll no matter what the call is and the ambulance always leads. Must be protocal.

Bill
 
Whole lot of factors there since you did not say any thing about lights and sirens going etc. No lights etc the one that got there first. Lights and all the one that will be most likely to save a life which would be the ambulance but then it could also depend on what code the fire was and if both where in the same city they should be able to talk in the radio so as to make sure which one needs to go first. Ya I know I think to much some times but that is sort of like the old trick question about the police car the fire truck the ambulance and the mail truck at a 4 way stop
 
I'm wear both shoes, but no trafic lights in my small town, very interesting question.

My thoughts would go to the truck not having the braking power, and also wonder if each state would be different.

My guess would also be the fire truck because the chief would probably be incedent comander.

Does your answer come from homeland beuroctooooocy? What a waste of tax dollars.
 
Right of way means just that, if you approach an intersection, and the another meets you at the same instant from your LEFT you have the right of way, if they aproach from your right YOU MUST give them the right of way. Tho some one here is sure to dis agree.
 
Sorry guys it wasn't a trick question and let's assume it is an all out emergency response and I said a non fire company EMS because we have to assume the fire compnay EMS is talking to the firetruck driver. I'm just curious because a couple of my brother-in-laws and my son who are the designated drivers say the firetruck has the right of way. Now not being a physical science major in college it still doesn't take long to calculate mass and velocity in regards to a 18000# firetruck to maybe a 10000# squad wagon I would concede to the mass. I don't know the answer that's why I'm asking, I was sure it would have been a civil service exam question. :-> Hi critter, hows things down your way?
 
Not possible, everyone knows fire trucks go faster than ambulances. Anyway our's do, especially after we chipped out those pesky govenors on our CAT motors!
 
In PA ambulances must obey all traffic laws. They may proceed through a red light or stop sign only after stopping and are sure that other traffic has stopped. They must obey the speed limit, etc. I crewed our amb. for 12 years Mostly as a driver. I always made sure to stop at intersections.

I have been a vol. firefighter for 33 years. A fire truck must also stop then proceed with caution. Fire trucks are allowed to do things such as go the wrong way on a one way streets and other things.

Firefighter deaths from fire truck accidents is a very serious concern and the court system is starting to hold fire truck drivers involved in accidents accountable.

I have taken courses to train our departments drivers in-house.

Fire service tankers have a history of accidents involving fatalities, so much so that the National Fire Protection Assoc. is considering removal of red lights from them and just using yellow.

When our department wrote specs for a new 3,800 gal.tanker we went with a 10 speed trans. and it made other members mad because they can't drive a standard shift. So we brought in a Allison Automatic Trans. salesman. The first thing he said as to why we should go with an automatic trans. was " It accelerates very quickly because there is no turbo lag and anyone can drive it". We went with the 10 speed.

Sorry I got carried away. Common sense must rule when an intersection is involved however you can't teach common sense.

Google fire truck accidents and watch some of the videos on youtube.
Especially the St. Louis fire truck accident.
 
In the states of MN and WI the firetruck always has priority. At any call where fire and ambulance are called the fire crew takes charge over the ambulance crew. Note; the vehicle with lights flashing has right away.

There may be some personal thoughts on this but there are many good reasons for the firetruck having right away, so that is the way it is.
 
In Canada at a four way stop intersection. A police car,ambulance,firetruck and postal delivery truck all stopped at the same time. Who has the priority?

Postal Delievery vehicle.
 
That's suprising buickanddeere because Canada being National health care and all here in the US I know that is true because I swear to god the hospital bill arrives before you leave the hospital or I can see them showing up at the accident scene before all the others to hand you the bill. :->
 
12 years a deputy, 10 a firefighter. Not sure I understand your question, but if they both have red (or green ones for that matter) traffic lights they should be traveling the same or opposite directions and there should not be a conflict. However if you are moving code 3 and blow through a red light, and an ambulance comes through a green light and nails you, you are going to have a lot of explaining to do. That is per the policy of every Dept I ever worked for anyway.
 
Jeez guys I really didn't want to make this controversial so let's say it's a code 3 or all out clear the house auto wreck or natural disaster and all lights are going sirens and all and it's a four way stop with emergency vehicles coming from all directions one is a fire truck next is a non fire EMS ambulance next is a law enforcement vehicle and let me throw in a state game warden and they all arrive at the same time. Now what?
 
Cadet, why not make it realistic. The cop heard about free donuts, the guy driving the firetruck is trying to get away from one of his ex-wifes, the Paramedic has to go to the bathroom real bad, and the game warden is not paying attention to anything.
 
IF the emergency lights are activated on both vehicles, the unit with the GREEN light proceedes first. Every emergency vehicle must obey traffic laws and proceed with due regard to traffic. So, if the EMS unit arrives with a red light, he must proceed only after the intersection is cleared. Not until.
 
Here in our community in Az. the ambulance and fire truck are dispachted from the same 911 operator and sometimes the firetruck arrives first and sometimes the ambulance arrives first even tho Fire and EMT ambulance share the same building site. The 911 operator makes judgement calls as too order of arrival on scene from conversation with caller and information provided by the caller. We have no stop lights to contend with tho we do have stop signs. Ambulance is a private concern with paid EMT'S. Our Fire Dept. is some paid and some volunteer members and most are or have some training in emergency medical response.
 
I'll throw another one out. Several years ago, I was driving down I-80 at the legal 75 mph in the right lane when I came up behind an ambulance in the passing lane going 50 mph with all the lights flashing.

I didn't feel comfortable passing him, so I initially hung behind him. Posed minimum speed is 45 mph. Very shortly, we had traffic piled up behind us for a mile or more. I assume every expletive known to the English language was being voiced repeatedly in the mass of vehicles behind.

Finally, even though I believe it's illegal to pass an emergency vehicle, I said, "He11 with it" and passed him on the right. Everyone else behind followed suit. The ambulance never wavered, just kept poking along down the passing lane.

A couple of weeks later, I mentioned it to a Nebraska State Trooper I knew. He said he couldn't imagine why the ambulance was acting as it was, but that I'd done the right thing by passing on the right and keeping traffic moving. Sometimes judgement and common sense does overrule.
 
In the state of Ohio, running red lights & siren is only asking for the road to be cleared. We still, regardless if it's Fire or Squad, must obey the laws of the road. At an innersection with stop signs, the 1 on the right would have the right of way. Consider that both should have raidio contact with each other or at least with dispatch. I know we have constant contact with our squad and until the scene is secured the Fire Chief has all control of the scene. Just my thoughts, Keith
 
Drivers of all vehicles,including emergency vehicles are to obey all traffic laws. As for your question,"..who has the right of way the answer is "NO ONE". In a fire truck or our medical response unit the other driver has the right of way until he has yeided it to me at my request. That's what light and siren does is REQUEST the right of way. It is theirs to yeild not our to take.
 
(quoted from post at 20:18:08 02/26/10) That's suprising buickanddeere because Canada being National health care and all here in the US I know that is true because I swear to god the hospital bill arrives before you leave the hospital or I can see them showing up at the accident scene before all the others to hand you the bill. :->
Click to expand...

Hi CT,

I goy a chuckle out of your reply. Last year they moved me from ICU to a regular room at 12:30 AM so they could bill one more day of ICU cost.

Then at 8AM the was a guy from the hospital billing office in my room asking me how I was going to pay the co-payment and he did have a portable credit card machine with him... lmao

T_Bone
 
All other things being equal, the ambulance should yield right-of-way to the fire truck.

The fire truck is larger, heavier, and harder to stop and maneuver. The ambulance has the advantage here, so it should be easier for the ambulance to stop and/or maneuver out of the way.

This is what I was taught during an emergency vehicle operator's class for law enforcement officers (many, many years ago).

P.S. we were told that in a police cruiser, we were last in line (we were supposed to yield to the other vehicles) as we were the most maneuverable.
 
I will go out on a limb and coment on that one goose. Although that is seldom or ever the case, sometimes slowing down is important. Usualy we are thrown around while trying to take care of a patient.

Those units ride rough, and We often have to tell the driver to slow his rear end down. Everyone gets wound up and not thinking straight. Gray hair often helps with the comon sence thing.

If that patient had a back injury is about the only reason that comes to mind right now, but there are no doubt many more.

I would not have passed out of respect, how many of the fast folks realy need to go as fast as they do.

We all make mistakes even if we drive emergency vehickles.

A very large law suit can be won if the driver is needed in back, and keeps on driving. The patients well being is utmost.
 
You are required to yeild the right of way according to the traffic signal and follow the normal rules of the road, red lights and siren or not around here. IF you come to a red light you are required to stop, insure that the intersection is clear, then proceed with caution.
I can't imagine that you'd ever really have a situation between a fire truck and ambulance if both follow the rules...

Rod
 
Bahhh! Cops yielding to fire or EMS??!!? We routinely get passed by deputies, only to have them park in the absolute worst place at a fire or accident scene.
 
Yep-that's what they taught us, back then.

Now that I've changed sides, I see it from a different perspective.

Suicidal person? We'll be sitting down the block, waiting for 10-15 minutes for the first car to get there to secure the scene.

Report of a structure fire? We'll have 5-6 cars (literally) on scene before us, blocking hydrants, parked right in front of the structure (where we need to be).
 
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