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Twelve percent of on-duty firefighter fatalities occur each year while responding to or returning from incidents, with the majority of fatalities resulting from vehicle crashes. Vehicle collision is the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities.
We are committed to reducing firefighter fatalities and injuries by helping to create a safer operational environment for emergency responders. The resources below contain best practices and recommendations for safer emergency vehicle and roadway incident response.
New Project
This project will continue our research on the effect of emergency vehicle warning lights on motorists and how to mitigate driver disorientation. We'll look at day and night use of warning lights, including color and overall emergency vehicle visibility/conspicuity.
Improved warning light technology may reduce on-duty emergency responder deaths, as well as improve the safety of the public when approached by, or diving past, emergency vehicles. Estimated release date: December 2021
Share this card on your social media accounts to make motorists aware that they need to move over for emergency responders.
This flyer provides information on the basics of emergency vehicle and roadway operations safety, including the roles of drivers, passengers and the officer in charge.
A study of public safety emergency vehicle and roadway operations
Since the release of our publication “Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative (2004),” we have worked with many fire service organizations and the law enforcement community to increase emergency responder safety in this area.
“Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative (2014)” provides best practices and recommendations for safer emergency vehicle and roadway incident response.
Topics covered include:
Safe Operation of Fire Tankers PDF 2.1 MB. Examines the various causal factors identified as problematic for tankers and their drivers. Tankers account for the largest number of firefighter crash deaths of all types of fire department vehicles.
Traffic Incident Management Systems PDF 5 MB. Describes the latest technologies, training, and operational practices for effective traffic incident management.
Emergency Vehicle Visibility and Conspicuity Study PDF 2.2 MB. Examines the use of retroreflective striping and chevrons, high-visibility paint, built-in passive light, and other reflectors for law enforcement patrol vehicles, fire apparatus, motorcycles, and ambulances and other EMS vehicles.
Respondersafety.com has free resources to help protect emergency responders at roadway incidents available in the following topic areas:
Respondersafety.com is managed by the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association, in partnership with the USFA and U.S. Department of Justice.
