There are many reasons why drivers fail to yield. Some are not paying attention to traffic behind them as well as in front of them. Some cannot hear the siren because their car stereo’s volume prohibits it or their attention is on a cell phone conversation. Some may not know what to do when an emergency vehicle approaches.  

When an emergency vehicle responding to a call approaches:

• Pull to the right and stop. State laws requires all drivers to yield the right-of-way by immediately driving, if practical, to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right edge or curb.
• Always make sure all public safety vehicles have passed before proceeding.

• Be sure to check your rearview mirror before pulling back into the travel lane.
• Don’t block any intersection. If it is not possible or safe to clear the intersection, move as far as possible away from the center of the intersection.

It is extremely frustrating for the driver of an emergency vehicle to try to navigate moving cars and blocked intersections.  Although it may pose a temporary inconvenience for travelers, yielding to vehicles on emergency calls is critical. It could be your loved one they are trying to reach.

Article Credits: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Images: Courtesy of Google Images

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Dublin, OH- When an emergency, such as a fire occurs, it’s easy to become panicked and confused. As a result, many 9-1-1 calls made to emergency dispatchers are often not complete, thus hindering the fire department’s ability to arrive quickly to the scene. By knowing what to expect when you call 9-1-1 and making a few simple preparations, you can steer clear of the common mistakes people make when they place an emergency phone call.

• Keep the 9-1-1 number posted on every telephone in your house and ask neighbors to do the same. Make the call from inside your home only if you are trapped. Otherwise, get out, report to your family’s agreed upon meeting place, and call the fire department from a neighbor’s phone or cell phone.
• Speak clearly and calmly. Give the dispatcher the location of the emergency and a brief description of the incident you are reporting. Be prepared to answer questions such as location, address, name, and telephone number. Stay on the phone until you have answered all the dispatcher’s questions and he or she says it’s OK to hang up. Help is being dispatched at the same time the call taker is continuing to gather additional information.
• If your call is a medical emergency, the dispatcher will provide pre-arrival medical instructions telling you what to do before medics arrive.
• Do not program 9-1-1 into your phone. It is too easy to accidentally call the number. If you dial 9-1-1 in error, DO NOT hang up. With the enhanced 9-1-1 features in our area, the caller’s address and telephone number is automatically identified for the dispatcher’s reference. Instead, stay on the line and let the dispatcher know you made a mistake. Otherwise he/she will send emergency crews to your address and needlessly tie up resources from real emergencies.
• If you use a cell phone to place an emergency call, the dispatcher receives your call back number and the approximate location from which you are calling. It is imperative that you stay on the line and tell the dispatcher the exact location of the emergency.
• Make sure your house number is displayed with large numbers (at least four inches high) in a contrasting color that can be seen easily from the road.
• If your home is situated far off the road, be sure your driveway is well marked with your street address.
• Share with your children and family members that making false emergency calls as a joke is a crime that costs lives. False alarms tie up emergency telephone lines and endanger emergency personnel driving to the scene.
• Once emergency personnel arrive, ensure they have current medical information for your family at their disposal by posting on your refrigerator a Vial of Life form for each member of your family. The Vial of Life form, if completed and kept current, can provide valuable information (medical history, medications, emergency contacts, doctor’s names etc.) that will help paramedics expediteemergency medical treatment and/or transition to a physician’s care. Vial of Life forms are available on the Township’s web site, www.wtwp.com, or by request at 614-652-3920.

They are especially helpful when the person in need of medical care cannot speak or isn’t old enough to be able to provide the necessary information, or when by-standers or family members are panicked or confused and have difficulty remembering all the details paramedics need.

Visit link to learn more about  the History of the 911 call.

“Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

LiveSafe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Most people aren’t prepared for a fire. Maybe it’s because they think it will never happen to them or, if it does, they won’t have any trouble getting out safely. In most fires, you’ll have only three to four minutes to escape safely. This is not enough time to devise a plan and make sure everyone in your home knows what to do.

Devising an escape plan now and practicing it with your family can help insure that everyone will get out safely, should you ever have a fire. For most, fires are scary and unfamiliar. By practicing an escape plan, you could help your family react faster and make better choices for their safe escape, even though they may be panicked and frightened.

Image provided by www.firesafety.gov

• Plan two ways out of every room, and include the windows as an option.
• Test the emergency exits, like the windows, to make sure you can open them and remove the screens and storm windows inside.
• Test all smoke alarms monthly to ensure that they work. Replace batteries as needed.
• Make sure everyone understands the escape plan and recognizes the sound of the smoke alarm. If children or others do not readily awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm, or if there are infants or other family members with mobility limitations, make sure that your plan identifies someone to assist them.
• Teach your family to stay low and crawl below the smoke to avoid its poisonous gases. Crawling to the exits is vital as 80% of all fire deaths are caused by smoke inhalation.
• Arrange for a meeting place outside the home. Make sure everyone knows to get out quickly, go to the meeting place, and not return for any reason, not even for pets or a favorite toy.
• Call the fire department from a neighbor’s house or use a cellular phone. Do not stay in a burning building to use a phone.

Do you have a fire safety or EMS question? We welcome your inquiries at fireinfo@wtwp.com.

Guest “Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Images provided by Google and www.firesafety.gov.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable.  Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

For more video selections, please visit FlashoverTV – the first functioning video community website for fire rescue professionals.