Emergency Questions

[Grim_Wizard]

Both lanes of traffic unless divided by a median must pull over and come to a complete stop.

[met police999]

in the U.S. they have ten codes right i have forgotten what we use here in Britain

[search_destroy]

Yes, 10 codes.

[met police999]

Yes, 10 codes.

i know i was asking what it is in the uk [quote name=met police999' timestamp='13

37096346' post='230086]in the U.S. they have ten codes right i have forgotten what we use here in Britain

[search_destroy]

Oh, that I don't know.

[hunter42]

I have a question, one day at a baseball game of mine I was at-bat and heard these sirens up in the hills in Center. I saw a motorycle speed past and 2 police car kill the lights and sirens. Why do they do that during a pursuit?

In the UK, if a pursuit is becoming too dangerous, then the police cars fall back out of the suspect's sights and turn off their sirens. Meanwhile, the police helicopter continues pursuit and directs the ground units.

The idea behind this is that the suspect can no longer hear or see the police and are more likely to be less erratic and a danger to the public. Maybe the police were using this tactic?

[met police999]

Also here in the uk if the pursuit is deemed to dangerous to continue the superintendent (I think) calls of the pursuit and they let the suspect to get away for the safety of the public

[met police999]

fire i would think but fire police?

[met police999]

oh ok thats alot different to the uk then

[TheCadetForce]

I also thought that Fire Police would be incharge of the arrests in like an Arson attack?

[Ami89E1234]

I was looking at the incident breakdown for 2010 from a local fire department and I found a few which I have no idea what they could be. Any enlightenment?

- Still (124)/Still Commercial (2) --- I do know that still is a type of alarm, but I haven't yet been able to find a clear definition of said alarm.

- Wash Down (13)

- Moveup Pumper (15)

[MCERT1]

-Still Alarm definition depends by agency. I'm used to it indicating an unfounded alarm, but that is an exceptionally low total for a year in any agency. It can also indicate medical assist alarms.

-Washdowns are done to clean an area after an accident, normally their part of a standard Motor Vehicle Collision assignment. However you can be dispatched for washdown only assignments for non-injury accidents, or particularly bloody EMS calls.

-Moveup assignments are when you transfer a truck to another station to cover their jurisdiction while they are tied up on other calls.

[Xplorer4x4]

Ok so previously I have seen a older model purple dodge Intrepid or Stratus with strobe corner lights and/or headlights in construction zones and it has a seal of the state of indiana on the back window(the stationary part that doesnt roll down). I suspected it to be DOT(department of transportation). When I saw it before it was always in Vanderburgh County. I recently moved to Warick County which is the smaller neighboring county. I live right off a major highway. I came down the hill out of the neighborhood to the highway and see a car coming along with strobe corners and at a distance assume it to be a cop. As it passes I see it is the purple car I have suspected to be DOT. He does not appear to be speeding as I pull out in traffic and eventually pass him. We reach a red light at a small three way stop and he is the second car in line. He starts to creep in to the right turn lane as if he is going to run the light. Instead he wait for the light to go green and then continues in traffic as if he is in no major rush. He eventually does turn off the highway to another highway while I had to go straight. The guy driving had a traffic vest on. My question is, is this likely DOT? If so, what power do they have in regards to running lights and how come they are able to use strobes while in traffic as if they are emergency personnel?

[MCERT1]

Just a total wild guess, but I'd venture to say it's some sort of supervisory unit or like a structural engineer. Were the strobes amber? I'd assume whoever was driving probably forgot to switch off the strobe. However, engineers can be requested at emergency scenes to asses for structural stability. I would doubt that he'd have any real power or authority to run stop lights, or proceed through a redlight... Technically very few vehicles (2, I think) are actually allowed to run a red light without stopping first..

[Xplorer4x4]

I dont think the strobes were amber, just clear. Power to run lights or not, he acted like he was going to run a red light if it werent about to change. While he wasnt driving eratic he did seem in a hurry and did have a traffic vest on.

The other night we had a bad pile up that shut down all 6 lanes off the hwy. Saw a brand new impala with the same set up, and in this case DOT brought out the big plow trucks to set up the construction zone type merge arrow light trailers.

Speaking of that acident, any idea why a heavy recue crane would pick up a car and suspend it about 5 feet off the ground during recosntruction?

Also does nfsa regulate movr up assignments and amount of man power required on alarm calls?

[MCERT1]

Sorry about the long absence of a reply...

I looked more for any information about the mystery vehicle, and still have yet to find any specific information about it. As for the accident reconstruction, I can come up with a few theories:

1. The car went airborne it he course of the accident, and they were attempting to visualize how it then interacted.

2. They may have wanted to inspect under the car, and simply used a resource available to do it.

One of the state troopers assigned to our coun is a reconstruction specialist, I haven't had a chance to talk with him about, but it's really amazing what all they can tell from a few sets of skid marks and the damage on a car.

When it comes to requirements for staffing on assignments, there is really no definitive regulation. Local agencies are responsible for the development of their assignments and staffing requirements. There are minimum recommendations out there produced by the NFPA, NIOSH, etc. Most agencies follow these recommended practices, but they aren't necessarily required too. For cover assignments and manpower I've seen no explicit recommendations beyond the conventional idea that you need enough crew is truck to run it ,which usually amounts to a minimum of 3. Really what exactly responds, and where left to the discretion of the individual agencies because of how varied the needs are across the US.

[Xplorer4x4]

Thanks for the info. Got another one.So the State of Indiana has lighting code laws as I am sure other states do, but I don't know if all states do: Anyway as far as I know it goes like this:Police = Red and BlueFire = Red and WhiteVolly Fire POV = BlueVolly EMS = GreenHowever the other day I noticed a county volly fire truck(2005 E-One Typhoon Rescue Pumper) with a red and blue light on the side of the cab. I then realized both the Engine 62 and Rescue 64 have them. they were built as fraternal twins built to spec for the department. I included the links to the lighting laws above in case I misunderstood or misread something but I don't get why they are allowed to run red and blue lights?Here is a pic of the truck(the red/blue light is directly above the handle by the front door):

Edited April 6, 2013 by Xplorer4x4

[Xplorer4x4]

Ok actually saw this rig's twin pumper in action last night..turns out it is green, blue, orange and red. My questions still stands as this is way out of the normal for any of the local departments.

[Handsup!]

I have a question i've been wondering (And many others that i can't think of ATM, lol), on US Engines, do the drivers manually switch the sirens/activate horns etc, for example when an engine's normal horn is sounded a few times.

I mean, they don't really manually 'honk' the horn over and over, do they? Here's a video of Austin EMS going over the top on wails and yelps:

I understand he might be responding to a cardiac arrest or equiv., but shouldn't he be concentrating on other things than 'playing' with his sirens? Sure, change them to unusual tones to get people's attention, but not a whole array of them, lol!

[met police999]

yea they do its coming to an intersection lights arnt as visble during the day so doing that makes them noticed they do that everywere its so they dont go through the lights and get side swiped on the way to a call does that help?

[Newfoundking]

Ok actually saw this rig's twin pumper in action last night..turns out it is green, blue, orange and red. My questions still stands as this is way out of the normal for any of the local departments.

These lights are not emergency lights. They actually serve the purpose of indicator lights on water status or something similar. I do believe the LA Mod as truck with these lights, and they are not lit because there is no real way to put pump/tank status in game. Because these are only status lights, they are not restricted by emergency light laws.

I have a question i've been wondering (And many others that i can't think of ATM, lol), on US Engines, do the drivers manually switch the sirens/activate horns etc, for example when an engine's normal horn is sounded a few times.

I mean, they don't really manually 'honk' the horn over and over, do they? Here's a video of Austin EMS going over the top on wails and yelps:

I understand he might be responding to a cardiac arrest or equiv., but shouldn't he be concentrating on other things than 'playing' with his sirens? Sure, change them to unusual tones to get people's attention, but not a whole array of them, lol!

yea they do its coming to an intersection lights arnt as visble during the day so doing that makes them noticed they do that everywere its so they dont go through the lights and get side swiped on the way to a call does that help?

What MetPolice said is true, but only partly. I've been driving my personal vehicle on the roads a few times, music up as I do, and I'll have an emergency vehicle behind me, lights going, and I won't hear them until they're upon me, or possibly even then, it might take an airhorn or something like changing sirens for my brain to pick up on a change in background noise and respond accordingly. The need for airhorn is it's generally louder and we're conditioned to respond to that sound as something of a warning, and with the infrequency of that sound in the background, it'll stick out to us more as an alert than a siren that's been in the background for a while.

In regards to lights, put as many or as little as you want on it, unless I'm checking my rearviews, or it's pitch black out and you've got the only lights, I won't notice you if you aren't in front of me, and you're relying on visibles only. Just imagine what it's like for big rig drivers, and the like, with only side mirrors.

It may seem like a lot to be changing sirens and that, but it's really not that hard. I know of very few drivers who use two hands all the time driving, and the ones that do are either elderly, or extremely new. First responders driving tend to be neither. If you rest your hand on the siren controls, which is usually in a comfortable place to do so, you can flick the knob easily, changing sirens, and a simple finger tap, usually to the left of the knob allows you to use airhorn. In practice, it's a lot easier than you'd think! If you have a console in the middle, it's super easy (we have them on all but ONE, it's great)

[MCERT1]

I have a question i've been wondering (And many others that i can't think of ATM, lol), on US Engines, do the drivers manually switch the sirens/activate horns etc, for example when an engine's normal horn is sounded a few times.

I mean, they don't really manually 'honk' the horn over and over, do they? I understand he might be responding to a cardiac arrest or equiv., but shouldn't he be concentrating on other things than 'playing' with his sirens? Sure, change them to unusual tones to get people's attention, but not a whole array of them, lol!

Most times the person in the captain's seat ( passenger seat ) manipulates the sirens. Sometimes I can even tell who's riding in the county EMs units based on the siren patterns.

[n00bingtarget]

When I was a Volunteer Firefighter / EMT, it depended on how many people were in the rig. 1 unit I drove frequently was a pickup truck we had a front mounted 750 GPM pump that we used to fill our tankers or pump water to the engine direct if close enough (no regular hydrants, we were RURAL). If I was by my self (yep, fun to run and setup by self but you do what you had to) I had to run the lights & sirens while driving. Same thing when I was driving the ambulance, if I didn't have an extra person, they were all in the back, I had to run the lights/sirens by self. If I had another person up front, I'd concentrate on driving and let them do the sirens. They also could help look for other vehicles and WILD LIFE (like I said - RURAL).

When I was a Paid-On-Call Firefighter later in life, then we always had at least 2 people in the front, so the driver drove and the person in the "officer" position ran lights/sirens/air horns/radio/computer.

[dispatch]

what would this be used for LOL WFT OH my god a NYPD ice cream truck NO WAY

take a look

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/21/24475393...388add9.jpg?v=0

Its been 4 years since you posted this.

Assuming you're still interested in finding the answer, im an Lt. in the NYPD patrol bureau and here's your answer.

NYPD does not and will never have ice cream trucks! Complete waste of useful money.

Mr. Softee is the biggest seller of ice cream trucks in NYC. The colours come in blue and white by default, making you think it's NYPD.

In the picture it looks like an NYPD cruiser and 2 ESU trucks are parked next to the ice cream truck or the ice cream truck is parked at the police station.

I can see why you think its an NYPD ice cream truck because of the colors but it's not

Hope I helped,

Lt. Anon, Patrol Bureau NYPD.

[matte31]

It may have been asked before but i'll give it a shot anyway.

How does the volounter fire dept. work in US?

Is it always personel available to callout from they're homes/work or does the trucks sometimes not respond due to lack of personel?

Is the nearest full time / paid fire dept. alarmed even though there is a fire in an area where a volounter dept is located?

Does the volounter fire dept have restrictions on SCBA, hazmat and diving?

I know that some of the questions answers may differ from place to place, but based on your own experiance how does it work?

Thanks in advance