Storm Chasing and Emergencies

[Mike Weiss]

This thread is kinda ridiculous. I am sure that there are people that have no concept of what flashing lights and sirens mean. Being a former State Trooper. I encountered them often. But I would like to think that if you are chasing or spotting. You would have enough common sense to pull out of the way, move over, etc in that type of situation. As far as putting your car in the ditch???? I really dont know of any law enforcement officer, etc. that wants you to put your vehicle or safety in danger while trying to get out of the way. The point is you must yield the right of way, if it is safe for you to do so.
I also have various lights and attention getters while chasing. I use them while on the side of the road, or if I am passing a chaser convergence pulled over. That is to get folks attention to the fact that there are vehicles driving past them. But as a comman courtesy I do apply what thae law says for that situation. When you see a emergency vehicle, maintnance vehicle, wrecker, etc pulled over. Take another lane, or at the very least slow down and give them as much room as is safe for you to do so.

 

[Shane Adams]

For as much bull**** as I've read on here the past few years regarding how aggressive and wreckless chasers behave behind the wheel "just to get a 20-second tornado", you'd think an emergency vehicle could put the hammer down and pass a few cars, just to "save a life" The first post to this thread is making it sound like the emergency vehicle drivers' hands are bound, and they can't take a little initiative and make some moves. It's called the "accelerator", and passing a few cars on a two-lane highway isn't a big deal. I'm not making excuses for people (not just chasers) who don't get out of the way, but c'mon.....emergency vehicles can be a little aggressive as well.

Sounds like someone else had a few bad experiences. Well get used to it, there's always gonna be an asshole out there on the road. But that doesn't mean the responsible majority need another lecture about the subject.

And yes, I go out of my way to yield for emergency vehicles, including jumping into parking lots and driveways well-ahead of the vehicle...in fact I have been ribbed by friends for how over-the-top I am about getting out of the way.

 

[Patrick Boomer]

Wow, people need to stop freaking out about the driving into the ditch comment. It took it as more of a tongue in cheek comment than anything, I'm sure he wasn't being serious. Take a chill pill people.

This is also what I got out of it , but as usual, the chaser police police prefer to dwell on that instead of the real message, which is an important one.

Keep your head up and get out of the way of emergency vehicles.

 

[Shane Adams]

This is also what I got out of it , but as usual, the chaser police police prefer to dwell on that instead of the real message, which is an important one.

Keep your head up and get out of the way of emergency vehicles.

I think all of us get the message...still wondering about the chaser police comment though....could this be tongue-n-cheek as well???

 

[Sean Poling]

I think everyone on this thread has enough common sense to:

know what to do when an emergency vehicle is behind you,

know that driving in to a ditch is a bad idea,

and that this thread has lots of 'tongue and cheek' phrases that
none of us should take too seriously.

 

[Jason Foster]

Are you suggesting that emergency responders should "deal with" chasers/civilians not pulling over because those emergency responders don't deserve the whole road? Maybe I am reading that wrong.....

I wasn't really being serious...this tread has become more entertainment than serious to me....the way folks get worked up about stuff.

I was saying get over the fact that things in life aren't perfect, even for Emer. crews responding. Around here in DC....rescue crews get no respect. Any crew should be happy they don't live around here....trying to get to a call. I personally always yield...whether chasing or not....because I don't want to be an a$$.

 

[Danny Neal]

Lol Okay I dunno. I am passionate about public safety as I made my life revolve around it so I probably skipped right over the sarcasm. My apologies sir!

I saw a video from NYC of a fire truck on one of the expressways with cars actually passing it! Seems like the norm around there.

 

[Adam Lucio]

For as much bull**** as I've read on here the past few years regarding how aggressive and wreckless chasers behave behind the wheel "just to get a 20-second tornado", you'd think an emergency vehicle could put the hammer down and pass a few cars, just to "save a life" The first post to this thread is making it sound like the emergency vehicle drivers' hands are bound, and they can't take a little initiative and make some moves. It's called the "accelerator", and passing a few cars on a two-lane highway isn't a big deal. I'm not making excuses for people (not just chasers) who don't get out of the way, but c'mon.....emergency vehicles can be a little aggressive as well.

Lol when we pulled over on Monday I remember telling Danny that Im glad that ambulance wasn't coming to save me because of how slow it was going. The sad reality is its probably for some sort of liability issue due to some jackass winning a BS lawsuit.

Plus, these emergency vehicles have nice big loud horns, if someone is totaly oblivious to the lights in the rear view mirror [which they should be checking anyways] I know if I was driving that fire truck id be layin down the horn.

 

[Chris Nuttall]

Plus, these emergency vehicles have nice big loud horns, if someone is totaly oblivious to the lights in the rear view mirror [which they should be checking anyways] I know if I was driving that fire truck id be layin down the horn.

It's ironic that you bring that up, vehicles made today have extremely quiet cabins. Now I admit, my radio is a bit loud, but even in my 2000 Mystique with the radio off, I only heard emergency vehicles when they were practically right on me. It's worse in my 2008 Liberty.

 

[J West]

For as much bull**** as I've read on here the past few years regarding how aggressive and wreckless chasers behave behind the wheel "just to get a 20-second tornado", you'd think an emergency vehicle could put the hammer down and pass a few cars, just to "save a life" The first post to this thread is making it sound like the emergency vehicle drivers' hands are bound, and they can't take a little initiative and make some moves. It's called the "accelerator", and passing a few cars on a two-lane highway isn't a big deal. I'm not making excuses for people (not just chasers) who don't get out of the way, but c'mon.....emergency vehicles can be a little aggressive as well.

That depends.

Up here, the rules of the road and due regard still apply to an emergency vehicle being operated en route to a call. The cliff notes are that passing on double yellow lines, operating left of center, blowing traffic signals/signs, etc are no-go's and create liability for the vehicle operator. Where I work, I know of a few people that have gotten letters in their files and even a couple who thought they were invincible and got terminated. No offense to anyone here but some of the rural police departments and volunteer fire departments are the worst drivers in this state. I once almost got run down by a VFD water tanker that couldn't stop. I think the kid driving it thought it was his Honda and could stop in 150 feet. Luckily, I got out of the way as it came flying past through a stop sign.

All any responsible emergency vehicle operator can ask that other vehicles make every safe attempt to get out of their way -safely-. I've watched videos on YouTube of fire trucks being driven against traffic at speed, weaving in/out of the other traffic. Around here, that would get you an a$$-chewing like none other or even formal discipline up to dismissal.

Everyone just needs to stay out of everyone else's way and everything else will work itself out.

 

[Kyle Masters]

This is the first time I've heard a first responder tell people to go off into a ditch if that's what it takes to get out of the way. Typically, if the person is pulled over as far as they can and are stopped then the first responder would safely make the maneuver to get around the vehicle.

I don't think telling people to go into the ditch is a wise suggestion, that ditch maybe a lot deeper than one thinks and ultimately would cause a lot of damage to the vehicle.

This is a years old post, written before my deployment. But, as was said earlier in my defense (thank you) that was written in the heat of the moment after we had a hassle with a gawker not getting out of the way.

As an emergency services professional, of course I would NEVER recommend ditching a car. Depth, culverts, and other obstructions make that dang near suicidal.

I guess sarcasm is hard to pull off in a forum, eh?

 

[Kyle Masters]

For as much bull**** as I've read on here the past few years regarding how aggressive and wreckless chasers behave behind the wheel "just to get a 20-second tornado", you'd think an emergency vehicle could put the hammer down and pass a few cars, just to "save a life" The first post to this thread is making it sound like the emergency vehicle drivers' hands are bound, and they can't take a little initiative and make some moves. It's called the "accelerator", and passing a few cars on a two-lane highway isn't a big deal. I'm not making excuses for people (not just chasers) who don't get out of the way, but c'mon.....emergency vehicles can be a little aggressive as well.

Heh, I'd love that...if the rescue I drive wasn't a 1980s that peaks at 63mph...with a 30kt tail wind going downhill.

 

[Jason Foster]

Heh, I'd love that...if the rescue I drive wasn't a 1980s that peaks at 63mph...with a 30kt tail wind going downhill.

Sounds like one of the old Macks. Damn those thinks were slow.

 

[Jesse Risley]

Having a water main break at work and enjoying the day off, I sat down and posted some thoughts after reliving the Yazoo City 'nightmare' on the episode of Storm Chasers last night.

Understand that these are my own personal thoughts, and there are those within the chasing community, and also the EMA community, who disagree over what role, if any, chasers and spotters should play in a post-disaster setting. As such, I don't think there is any one right answer to what, if anything, chasers should do immediately after a tornado strikes.

I'm not making any recommendations as someone who is a trained medical professional, but rather just some observations, suggestions and perhaps pontificating a general sense of advice to "be prepared" if you're going to be in the game.

http://convectiveaddiction.com/2010/10/21/chasers-as-first-responders/

 

[David Drummond]

Understand that these are my own personal thoughts, and there are those within the chasing community, and also the EMA community, who disagree over what role, if any, chasers and spotters should play in a post-disaster setting. As such, I don't think there is any one right answer to what, if anything, chasers should do immediately after a tornado strikes.

Even though I have had first responder training in the past, the first thing I do is find someone that appears to be in charge nearby, and tell them who I am, what I am trained to do, and ask where I can be of help. If they need it they will tell you. If they don't they will tell you. Do as they tell you. If they tell you to get the hell out of there, get the hell out of there.

They may have you do something as simple as stand there and tell people where they are setting up a shelter or blocking a road. It could be more complex.

But there may come a time when you may be the first person there. It's those times you will wish you had prepared beforehand if you haven't.

Disaster scenes are not for the faint of heart, and as prepared as you may think you are to view and help out in one, unless you have done this many times in the past, I can tell you, you are not prepared. Emotions you thought you could contain might overwhelm you, you may see things you never imagined. Even emergency workers who do this stuff day in and day out sometimes have to get Critical Stress Debriefing after some incidents. Be careful what you open yourself up to, it may affect you for the rest of your life.