Firefighters remind motorists to pull over when sirens are hot

Southern Alberta Newspapers

Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services has released a public safety message reminding city drivers to pull over when they see or hear a firetruck, police cruiser or ambulance blaring sirens and flashing emergency lights.

The safety message was released Tuesday after firefighters reported experiencing confusion from motorists who were unsure what to do as they responded to two recent major vehicle collisions.

In an effort to educate local drivers, the Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services social media pages posted an educational short video explaining how drivers should respond if an emergency vehicle with sirens and lights is approaching you.

“We’ve had a couple major incidents in our community and we’ve also seen a bit of confusion on the roads with traffic,” explains Kelli Ireland, fire and life safety educator, in the video.

The video continues with a short animated tutorial teaching motorists proper driving techniques to ensure emergency vehicles can safely and quickly pass at an intersection or multiple lane roadway.

Additionally, motorists are reminded to use turning lights while pulling over and only resume to normal traffic after all emergency vehicles have passed.

Dry conditions continue to pose a serious fire risk in the region as Cypress Country, County of Newell, County of Forty Mile, Lethbridge County and the M.D of Taber, as well as Medicine Hat, Brooks, Lethbridge remain under an extreme fire danger rating.

The rating is the most severe according to the provincial fire danger rating index, warning that conditions pose a serious risk for fast-spreading, high-intensity fires that can be difficult to control.