All we ask is that you folks take sirens seriously — make way for an ambulance, fire truck or police vehicle. A child of five could understand this!!! Someday you may be the one calling for help, or the life on the line might be a friend, neighbor or someone you care for. You can do some simple things to help emergency personnel reach a person in need. Use the letters S.I.R.E.N. to remember the right way to yield to an emergency vehicle.
S: Stay Alert Drive defensively, keep the noise level down in your car and look for more than one emergency vehicle approaching when you hear a siren… get out of the way!
I: Investigate Check your rear-view mirror, scan in front and on both sides of your vehicle, try to estimate the closing speed of the emergency vehicle and plan your next move…. get out of the way!
R: React React quickly, but calmly and scan in all directions before pulling over. Always use a turn signal when exiting the roadway and don’t slam on the brakes or pull over suddenly… get out of the way!
E: Enter Before re-entering the road/traffic, make a visual sweep in all directions, turn on your signal, and gradually merge back into traffic.
N: Never Don’t stop at a place that doesn’t have enough room to pull over safely and never follow or try to outrun an emergency vehicle… just make sure you get out of the way!
When an emergency vehicle is approaching, pull as far to the right as possible. Do not cross in front of an emergency vehicle which may be stopped at a busy intersection, wait for the vehicle to pass. Next time you encounter such a situation, yield immediately so that the emergency personnel can reach the person who is waiting for help to arrive. Remember, it’s important to let them through…next time, it could be you.
