It's no picnic for emergency workers

Seconds can save lives and everyday emergency workers face obstacles that could mean the difference between life and death.

Today members from the North Bay City Police, North Bay Ambulance, North Bay OPP and North Bay Fire & Emergency Services came together to remind the all motorists that it’s the law for any driver who sees and hears an emergency vehicle approaching from either direction to move out of the way.

Officials say they are frustrated that there have recently dealt with a number of near misses as well as a collision involving emergency vehicles enroute to a call, due to the inappropriate actions of drivers.

They say carelessness not only puts the driver and the emergency responders at risk and jeopardizes the lives but their actions could also dramatically change the outcome of initial emergency.



OPP Sergeant Dean Ward says because they are travelling at high rates of speed it is very important that people use their indicators when they are pulling over and stopping for emergency vehicles.

“Very frustrating and then all of a sudden everything increases because we are becoming so close to them so quickly because of speed we’re trying to get to a call and now we are trying to anticipate what they are going to do. If they indicate what they are going to do then it takes away that anticipation and I can plan my route safely.”

“If someone slams on their brakes or fails to pull over now I’m having to constantly re-establish and refocus on where I have to go and what path I have to take,” says Ward.

“If people where just to signal, slow down and pull to the right, or if we have someone stopped slow down and pull to the left and go around us … it’s a huge safety issue we have officers hit all the time by people by people who just stay in that lane and we walk out to speak to somebody or deal with an occurrence and people come upon us and unfortunately and sometimes they hit us.”

“If we’re sitting at the side of the road now in an accident we’re no good to anybody.”

City officer Sergeant Mike Hunter says drivers need to remember there are penalties involved if motorists don’t follow Ontario laws.

“If you don’t follow the rules of the road and you don’t pull over for an emergency vehicle it’s a $409 fine, it’s three points on your licence and it also has a drastic effect on your insurance.”

“When the insurance companies do a driver abstract on your record and see fines and offences like failing to pull over and failing to stop for emergency vehicles they take those very seriously and to the type of driver they are dealing with.”

Hunter says the other side of the coin it the potential for accidents when motorists don’t obey traffic laws.

“In the past year we’ve had two accidents ourselves -- one where a vehicle was stopped at a traffic stop and was hit from the rear. It had its red lights going on and another car came, the officers were slightly injured. The other incident was where we had an officer go through and intersection and was struck as well … again some more serious injuries.

“So the biggest thing is we don’t want anyone to get hurt; either ourselves, the people we are going to help or the ones that are driving and (have the potential to) hit us.”