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TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS WHEN LIGHTS AND SIRENS

APPROACH

It's no secret that traffic is just about as bad as it gets right now in

Bonita Springs. What should you do if you're sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic and

you hear the desperate scream of a siren coming up behind you? The actions you

take could determine the difference in the critical minutes needed to save a life.

Fire Chief Phil Kinsey, Jr. offers the following tips for drivers who find themselves in the path of emergency vehicles:

First of all, remain calm and don't panic. If at all possible, move your vehicle to the right and come to a stop. Remember, "move to the right for sirens and lights."
When you're at an intersection with a stop sign or traffic light, and emergency vehicle is coming up behind you, stay where you are if you cannot pull to the right. The driver of an emergency vehicle can then anticipate where to move the ambulance, fire engine or police car.

Drivers should not do the following:

Stop in the middle of the lane when there is room to pull to the right.
Pull to the left in the center yellow lane or left turn lane.
Drive through a red traffic light or stop sign when an emergency vehicle approaches from behind.
Make a left turn quickly to a driveway or side street.
Race ahead to get through a green traffic light or turn before emergency vehicle gets there.
Disregard the emergency vehicle and continue to travel.

The men and women who drive fire engines, ambulances and police vehicles are thoroughly trained and tested. They are taught first to drive with due regard for safety of others. Their intent is never to force others off the road. The supersedes a natural desire to get where they are going quickly to help the victims of a car crash or a victim of cardiac arrest or to fight a fire.

Drivers of emergency vehicles know that they cannot help anyone if they don't get there. Generally, emergency drivers will move to the left, since the public is encouraged to move to the right.

Why it is so important for drivers to respect response vehicles by moving out of the way and stopping? When you or someone you care about needs the help of an emergency responder, you will be thankful for the drivers who didn't impede their response and allowed for their safe and prompt arrival.