Why firies have been banned from using lights and sirens while driving to fires
ACT Rural Fire Service staff and volunteers have been ordered not to use sirens and lights when responding to fires after chief officer Joe Murphy decided it was too ‘dangerous’.
‘Urgent duty driving’ allows Australian emergency vehicles drive without the restrictions of standard road rules in an emergency, alerting those nearby to their position with audible sirens and flashing blue and red lights.
Since the deadly bushfires season began last year and continues to increase in severity, it’s become a common occurrence on our roads as firefighters race to battle out of control bushfires around the country.
‘A dangerous undertaking’
In September, Mr Murphy said ACT RFS staff were not trained in urgent duty driving and therefore were not permitted to activate sirens and lights on RFS vehicles.
"Urgent duty driving is a dangerous undertaking, and ACT Emergency Services Agency need to consider firefighter and community safety," Mr Murphy told the Canberra Times.
The order stayed in place on the weekend even as the territory faced record breaking temperatures of 44 degrees and was declared in a state of alert.
Firie's exhausting hours before outburst at prime minister revealed
Devastated tourists share memories of popular snow resort gutted by bushfires
Frustrated firies
The Canberra Times reports the ban frustrated local rural fires services as NSW RFS passed through the territory on Saturday with lights and sirens to reach bushfires in southern NSW.
While an unnamed source told outlet ACT strike teams had recently been unable to respond using lights and sirens when called to provide urgent assistance in surrounding fires in NSW.
Mr Murphy responded and said the Emergency Services Agency was not aware of any recent incident when ACT RFS crews were delayed by traffic when responding to fires, adding that the suburban based ACT Fire and Rescue are trained in urgent duty driving to used support the RFS when needed.
Mr Murphy told the local publication the Emergency Services Agency and ACT RFS were committed to giving the training needed to reintroduce urgent duty driving but according to the anonymous source, it’s a trust issue.
“While rural firefighter crews were trusted to manage a fire once they arrived, they weren't trusted to use their experience and judgment to drive under lights and sirens,” the source told the Canberra Times.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
