Ask the Fire Chief: Emergency Vehicles on the Road

Fire Chief Herbert Griffin will answer your questions about the Raleigh Fire Department, just ask.

His replies will be featured in the quarterly Raleigh Fire News. You can also share your ideas for the newsletter.

Question: What should people do when they see an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens on?

Answer: The short answer is: You should steer to the right of the roadway, stop or slow down and wait for the emergency vehicle to pass.

Vehicle collisions are the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities. According to the United States Fire Administration, 12 percent of on-duty firefighter fatalities occur each year while responding to or returning from incidents, with most fatalities resulting from vehicle crashes. 

Every second counts when we are responding to an emergency. People’s lives may depend on your cooperation when an emergency vehicle needs to pass. These vehicles sometime use the wrong side of the street to continue on their way. So, you should steer to the right of the roadway, stop or slow down and wait for the emergency vehicle to pass. You must yield the right-of-way to emergency response vehicles with active lights and sirens when they approach you at intersections. When the emergency vehicle has successfully passed you, pull back into your lane and resume your course of travel with caution. Stay safe.