Fire Truck Close Call

A close calls between a Tower Ladder and a civilian SUV that shows us why it's always a good idea to check and clear the intersection before proceeding.

I have disabled comments on this video due to the developing flame war in the comments area. This video is not about paid vs. volunteer firefighters, it is not about city vs. rural departments, it's a video used to show a close call between fire apparatus and civilian traffic. I agree with many of the previous comments that the D/O may not have been in the wrong since it's tough to tell the direction of the stop signal - it's a training aid and cautionary visual reminder, that's all.

In New Jersey, where I have been both a career and volunteer firefighter for a number of years - the applicable law for the right of way in an intersection is Title 39:4-91, and while Section A does state that we have the right of way over civilian traffic - Section B expressly states "This section shall not relieve the driver of any authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall it protect the driver from the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of others. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit any immunity or defense otherwise provided by law."

Hopefully this information helps in your department as I've used this successfully as a Driver Trainer for some time now.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• fire
• truck
• tower
• ladder
• red
• light
• vehicle
• accident
• firefighter
• close
• calls