Emergency Response Route Selection

Route Selection Factors for Emergency Response

• Avoid roads with heavy or uncooperative traffic patterns, such as commercially zoned areas
• Avoid areas with slow-moving or large vehicles, such as tractor-trailers or farm equipment
• Avoid areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, such as school zones, busy intersections, bus loading and unloading zones, and parked cars
• Avoid slow-moving traffic conditions, such as construction zones, special entertainment events, bumper-to-bumper traffic, and rough pavement roads or roads that have potholes, multiple bumps, and non-paved surfaces
• Select roads with acceptable line-of-sight conditions, avoiding roads with hills and curves, poor visibility at intersections, or poor visibility due to parked vehicles
• Consider one-way streets, which offer the advantage of avoiding oncoming traffic but the disadvantage of approaching all vehicles from the rear

Emergency Warning Devices on Enforcement Vehicles

• Emergency warning devices, such as headlights, emergency flasher lights, and sirens, enhance the officer's ability to maneuver in traffic and reduce the risk to self and others
• Headlights are more discernible than traditional red or blue overheads in the daytime
• Emergency flasher lights are helpful in daylight
• Sirens are often required by statute, regardless of the time of day, when engaged in emergency driving
• Emergency lights and sirens are not a substitute for caution and utilization of mastered driving skills

Factors Affecting Siren Audibility and Light Visibility

• Weather conditions:
• Overcast or cloudy days: sirens are heard sooner
• Clear days: siren audibility dissipates into the atmosphere
• Fog: sound carries through moisture with minimal loss of decibels at close range, but dissipates at greater distances
• Inclement weather: reduces the value of lights and sirens, making driving skills critical
• Vehicular traffic conditions:
• Increasing traffic noise reduces siren audibility
• Large vehicles, such as heavy trucks and buses, decrease the effectiveness of sirens
• Location:
• Residential areas: sirens are less discernible
• Large trees and hedges absorb sound, reducing siren effectiveness
• Tall buildings block, deflect, or tunnel sound transmission, reducing siren value
• Flat open areas: sirens can be heard at a greater distance
• Pedestrian traffic conditions:
• Emergency lights may not adequately warn pedestrians
• Sirens offer greater warning to pedestrian traffic
• Great care and caution must be taken in areas congested with foot traffic
• Speed control is the preferred response in areas with pedestrian traffic