Firemen with blue lights on vehicles

[captain54]

I have been a volunteer firfighter for over 15 years and I am a PA state instrcutor and I aboslutely despise blue lights 95% of the time. The only time that blue lights serve a purpose in my opinion is actually to mark your vehicle at the fire/rescue scene to get close to where you need to be able to work. Here is the reasons I hate them the rest of the time. They do no give anyone any power to speed, go through red lights, run stop signs, or in any other way break the law. So, if you follow the speed limit, you probably won't catch up to any cars in front of you as long as they are going the speed limit so you will never be close enough for them to have to pull over so you don't get to the scene/firehouse any faster running a blue light in this scenario. Since you can not go through a red light, even if all other traffic stops, you still have to wait until the light turns green so you save no time in this scenario. The only time a blue light may help is trying to cross traffic and even at that it only saves you a couple seconds. My department does not allow blue lights and has not for quite some time and it has not had any effect on our response times to fires/emergencies and yes, we have crunched the numbers to prove this. Unfortunetly, those few bad cases out there where people have run red lights and caused crashes, been stopped for speeeding, etc have runined this courtesy. I have been in a department (not my current on where blue lights are banned) where a firefighter went through a red light while running his blue light and caused a serious accident. The press coverage would not stop about the out-of control volunteers. I have been illegally passed by a volunteer on his way to a call-not running a blue light, but just his hazards on. I had no idea where he was going or why he was passing me on a double yellow line. He actually had the nerve to flip me off on the way by. I proceeded to report him to the police and to his fire chief (luckily the chief was a good man and suspened this person for 90 days as well as a citation from the police.) Again, it comes down to safety, common sense, and self control and the few idiots have ruined it for the many good. That being said, even if all firefighters running blue lights followed all laws that they are supposed to, blue light do not have a great enough impact on reponse times to warrant running them. FYI, when I make this statement, please be aware that I can only speak for the departments that I have been a member of and there have been 4 of those all in different areas of the state.

[Wasz]

I did Jr. Volley for a couple years. It was ok, there were some odd ducks in that house though... Anyway, I understand wanting to get there and the blue lights. Ill get out of a blue lighters way as soon as I can safely.

But why tailgate me and lay on your horn? Don't drive dangerously, otherwise the ambluance will be coming for you or the poor bastard you ran off the road. I had one of these guys practically run me into a guardrail once. It was a twisty back road that drops off. There wasn't a whole lot of room to pull over I was waiting for a little bit of room, but that wasnt good enough. He had his station number on the back of his car, I was tempted to go there and wait for him, with a big stick, but thought better of it.

Blue lights don't mean you can do stupid shit. We used to have dudes come screaming in for an AFA call. Just the dumbest crap. If you want to feel self-important blue light it up, just don't be a fucking moron.

[soberbyker]

Originally Posted by Wasz

.... We used to have dudes come screaming in for an AFA call. .....

AFA Call? Please explain.

[captain54]

AFA=automatic fire alarm. Statistically speaking, 95% of these end up being false alarms such as burnt food setting ogf a smoke detector, or a genereal malfunction in the alarm such as dust build-up/improper maintanence. That being said, some of them are real fires. So, I think what the last poster was getting at is that some people drive carelessly going to calls that they know typically are bs. I know that in my department, we probably have 30 alarm system calls that are malfuncitions, burnt food etc. for every one that is a real fire.

[soberbyker]

Originally Posted by captain54

AFA=automatic fire alarm. Statistically speaking, 95% of these end up being false alarms such as burnt food setting ogf a smoke detector, or a genereal malfunction in the alarm such as dust build-up/improper maintanence. That being said, some of them are real fires. So, I think what the last poster was getting at is that some people drive carelessly going to calls that they know typically are bs. I know that in my department, we probably have 30 alarm system calls that are malfuncitions, burnt food etc. for every one that is a real fire.

Yea OK, I was a volunteer years ago, I wrote a little about it here: http://www.pafoa.org/forum/pennsylva...html#post69026 I just didn't recall the term AFA, we used to get them one in a while but not often, Millbourne is PA's smallest municipality, mostly row homes a few businesses. I do remember other Dept's. getting enough to start charging for false alarms though, Thanks for the explanation, and welcome to the forum.

[Wasz]

Thanks byker. Im not saying I know much, but the Cap basically got it right. AFA was mostly just false alarms that typically got called off, but people would come cooking right on in (mostly the young bucks).

I appreciate what VFDs do and the time the guys put in. I also realize that just because it is an AFA doesnt mean it isnt a real fire. Just seeing that kind of stuff and the one incident turned me a little sour on the whole blue light thing. I still get out of the way same as always, I just hope those guys keep it safe for themselves and the other motorists.

[MarcS]

captain54 is essentally correct here. The only times i find myself using the lights if for traffic safety if i roll up on a scene or less than a block from the firehouse when i have to make the left hand turn off the avenue and traffic is solid. any other time it seems to slow you down via making people around you drive stupid.

The types of calls i even bother rushing to are few and far between.

[ithinkimamedic]

Well I'll be dipped in shit and fried for a hushpuppy if I didn't end up using it sunday night on the way back from hershey meeting with Jaybell! Came across an accident on the base of 7mtn's. Only used that son of a bitch to warn the oncomming FD (who were travelling at stupid speeds BTW!) and other cars on the road not to hit me!
on a side note, Milory. Slow the hell down!

oh! and capt. welcome aboard!
Cheers,
josh