By Jill Kelley
Dayton Daily News
CENTERVILLE, Ohio — The Centerville Police Department announced Friday, April 30, that it would be issuing fines to as much as $150 for motorists who obstruct the intersection at East Franklin Street and Maple Avenue, and hinder emergency vehicles.
Washington Twp. Fire Department Public Information Officer Rich Palmer said Station 41, which is at 163 Maple Ave. and uses that intersection, is the center station for the community.
“Crews (from Station 41) go on about every fire call and a good number of the EMS calls,” Palmer said. “There is a lot of activity just due to the nature of the placement.”
Palmer said that activity is likely to increase, since the department is looking at making Station 41 a 24-hour medic to supplement the other two fire stations that offer round-the-clock EMT services.
“Our biggest concern is (these delays at the intersection) cutting into our response time,” Palmer said.
Officer Matt Dunn, public information officer for the Centerville Police Department, said Station 41 also has many volunteer firefighters who respond to calls in nonlabled vehicles.
Those firefighters often are delayed getting into the station and getting out due to traffic blocking the intersection, Palmer added.
Dunn noted that there were four accidents involving emergency vehicles in the Centerville/Washington Twp. area in the last three years.
“We have seen an increasing number of folks disregarding vehicles with flashing lights and sirens,” Dunn said. “They have a duty to move as safely as possible to the right and come to a stop.”
Dunn said motorists will be fined for not complying, and said that drivers also can record the license plate numbers and information of other drivers who don’t comply and report it to the police department.
“We need to reduce the number of accidents involving emergency vehicles,” he said.
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