FORT BENNING, Ga., (Nov. 25 2015) -- Fort Benning Emergency first responders are urging drivers to use caution when approaching emergency vehicles responding to accidents on the roadways.
Steven Lowell, assistant chief for Fire Prevention, said emergency first responders have been delayed in numerous responses to emergencies throughout the post due to drivers not paying attention.
"We take pride in protecting those who serve. Delaying emergency responders hurts the community as a whole. So as a community we need to understand, it's their friends, Family and neighbors we are responding too."
Lowell cited a recent emergency response incident to a motor vehicle accident where a driver was not attentive to the surroundings and hit the command vehicle doing approximately 40 miles per hour, causing serious damage to both vehicles and injuring the passenger.
"This accident could have been a lot worse! On this day we only lost a vehicle. We cannot afford to lose a servant of the community nor most importantly a member of the tricity area."
Maj. Joseph Labranche of the Fort Benning Department of the Army Civilian Police force, said drivers should be aware of Title 40 Motor Vehicles and Traffic Chapter 6, Article 11, which states that "The driver of any vehicle other than one on official business shall not follow any fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm or any other emergency vehicle closer than 200 feet and shall not park such vehicles within 500 feet of any fire apparatus stopped in answer to a fire alarm."
According to Maj. Labranche, Georgia law 40-6-274 requires drivers to yield the right of way to "authorized emergency vehicles or a vehicle belonging to a federal, state or local law enforcement agency making use of an audible signal and visual signals."
"We are asking that all drivers on Fort Benning and the surrounding communities to be conscious of emergency vehicles while driving and slow down, pull over to the right side of the road, and yield to responding apparatus." Lowell said.
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