A Virginia ambulance driver was charged with reckless driving earlier this month when he used his ambulance to stop a fleeing vehicle involved in a police chase.
Curt Varone
Curt Varone has over 50 years of fire service experience and 40 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. Besides his law degree, he has a MS in Forensic Psychology. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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Not relating specifically to the legal aspect of this case… But how many of the firefighters who have defended this driver’s actions would be mad if a police officer got involved in a fire department incident? I don’t know the answer. But it’s bound to be more than would care to admit.
As for me, I wasn’t there at the time. I don’t have the information the driver had. I can’t say one way or another if I would have done the same thing.
Cozmosis
Thank you for your post. I too have mixed feelings about what’s appropriate in this case. The actions of the ambulance driver, no matter how well intentioned, could have resulted in a worse disaster had things gone differently. The bottom line is the facts will determine if the driver was reasonable or reckless in doing what he did.
As for cops getting involved in fire incidents, it happens on a regular basis, from breaking windows to “help” the victims breath to parking their patrol cars in front of the building while they run in to “check out” the fire. The difference is we cannot cite them, but they can cite us.
Thanks again for posting
Curt
Defensive driving is the term used for reasonable and responsible operation of a vehicle, according to defensivedrivingcompanyofamerica.com. The term refers to the anticipation of potential problems and other driver’s actions to lower the likelihood of accidents.