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.
| MORE: N.C. EMS considers limiting use of lights, sirens to reduce crashes
“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.
Does your department have a limited lights-and-sirens policy? Share the details.
EMS1 readers respond
“High speed lights-and-sirens should be reserved for live threats. That constitutes about 20% of most EMS systems’ calls. Most calls, lights-and-siren response saves a couple of minutes. Not worth risking the lives of the ambulance crew when getting there a little sooner makes no difference in outcome. A good prioritization system should be used. I believe you can be both. I’ve seen ambulances of many colors. Maintain the Battenburg design on the back for safety. The sides can be any color, and have some design on them. I’ve seen many ambulances with a graphic on the sides of the college sports teams, local sites, etc. One in Wyoming actually violates copyright laws by superimposing a graphic of a cowboy on a bucking bronco. And for heaven’s sake, if you put an EKG tracing on your vehicle, make it an NSR!”
