By Tim Daniel
The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
Copyright 2006 The Columbus Dispatch
All Rights Reserved
I just read the Aug. 2 Dispatch article regarding emergency vehicles and careless drivers. First off, I have served as a law-enforcement officer for 14 years and have 23 years experience as a firefighter and emergency medical technician-paramedic, both as a volunteer and paid. The article points out careless civilian drivers, but I don’t recall it mentioning careless and unsafe police, fire and emergency-medical-services drivers.
The article stated that Columbus fire vehicles have been involved in 69 accidents this year but doesn’t state how many emergency-vehicle operators were at fault. And doesn’t 69 accidents seem considerably high? Way too many fire, emergency and especially police officers feel that driving emergency vehicles gives them a license to drive with total disregard to the public.
Recently, I observed a Columbus police officer on a motorcycle make an illegal turn. While I was waiting at a stoplight, this officer squeezed between my vehicle and the sidewalk to make a right turn, a space of about 4 feet. And then he pulled into a Subway shop. Mind you that he was not in emergency mode and did not have any emergency lights flashing. Just routine patrol work. If he would have observed another motorcycle do the same thing, I can only hope that he would have cited the rider.
Also, I observed an Upper Arlington Fire Department vehicle make an illegal right turn from the left lane of Henderson Road onto Reed Road. Again this driver had no safe regard toward the public. He just jumped ahead of the car in the right lane. And once again, he had no emergency equipment activated. I also observed a Columbus Fire Division medic barreling east on W. Broad Street in the opposing lanes with the siren sounding, but no emergency lights. The driver forgot to turn them on!
Jackson Township-Grove City Fire Department drivers seem to have no regard at all for public safety. I challenge The Dispatch to do a ride-along program with them and observe firsthand how careless and unsafe they are. I see way too many incidents among fire, emergency and police vehicles that place the public in undue danger. Way too many firefighters, emergency-medical personnel and, most frequently, police officers develop the “God syndrome,” where they feel that they are driving an emergency vehicle and they are always in the right. This is not the case!
I have been well-trained in emergency-vehicle operations, as well as the laws that involve them. Too many emergency drivers go undisciplined for careless driving and are not held accountable. Now how about doing a story on the other side of the coin?