VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach EMS implemented a new policy limiting the use of lights and sirens on Priority 2 calls.
Chief Jason Stroud said the change, implemented in late October, aligns with a nationwide move to reassess when emergency signals are necessary for EMS responses, WVEC reported.
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“If we’re looking at a five-mile response, the use of red lights and sirens, at most, saves us two minutes according to our driving policy,” Stroud said. “So we know for 93% of our patient population, there is no impact on patient outcome.”
Stroud noted that other jurisdictions, including Wake County in the Raleigh area, have adopted similar policies. He said Virginia Beach EMS will continue using lights and sirens for critical, Priority 1 incidents, such as breathing difficulties, unresponsive patients, active seizures or traumatic accidents, while scaling back their use on lower-acuity calls.
From Oct. 1, 2024, to Oct. 1, 2025, about 25% of 911 calls in Virginia Beach were classified as Priority 1. The new policy applies to all other calls. The department cites national data showing ambulances using lights and sirens are roughly twice as likely to crash, with related injuries occurring at far higher rates, evidence that the added risk isn’t necessary for most patients or outcomes.
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