minivac

Date: 1/23/11
Time: 20:55
Location: Main Street I/F/O St. Francis Church and I/F/O Oconners Public House
Frequency: 154.650, 33.960, 60 Fire 16 and 60 EMS 16
Units Operating: Mount Kisco PD, WEMS: 45-M1, 45-M2, 7011, 70B1, 70B2, Bedford PD, Cars: 2281, 2282, 2283, E-104, R-15, R-31
Weather Conditions: Cold
Description Of Incident: MKPD with MKVAC on stabbing I/F/O St. Francis Church, while responding 70-B2 called in a rollover car on it's side confirmed extrication I/F/O O'Conners Public House. Bedford PD sending units and Car 2281 call for retone for second rescue for confirmed extrication.
Reporters: E106MKFD, FF3080, PFDrescue47
Writer:E106MKFD
21:27 45-M2 called to the scene per 45-M1.
22:35 Per car 2281 patient is cut out and has been packaged and awaiting transport by EMS.
22:45 70-B1 enroute to Westchester Med ALS on board (45-M1). - Car 7011 (MKVAC Captain) and 70-B2 in service.
22:03 70-B1 with update with Westchester Med 5 min. Out calling for security on arrival due too patient being combative -WMC says they have no security available.
22:13 Per car 2281 all MKFD units holding for cleanup/assist with MKPD investigation.
MODERATOR NOTE: Please provide info on the disposition of the stabbing if possible.

Date:9/20/10
Time:11:15
Location: 13 New Castle Drive
Frequency: 46.26, Fire16, EMS16, 154.650
Units Operating: E-105, Tl-14, R-15, MKVAC: 7011, 70B2, 45-M1, Mt. Kisco Police, Mt. Kisco Building Dept., Red Cross
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Link to story: http://www.ifco13.com/apps/public/news/newsView.cfm?News_ID=129
Description Of Incident: Car was hit from behind in Mount Kisco Smokehouse parking lot. When driver tried to brake she accidentally hit the gas, ran through a fence and into the rear of a home. The driver sustained minor injuries and no one in the home was injured. The house was deemed uninhabitable by Mt. Kisco building dept. and the red cross was called to assist the homeowner.
Read more and photos at:
Reporters:
Writer:

First, one of the things I love about sites like this is that anyone of any age or background can get us up and talking about stuff. I think this is great and this is not a bad question. We should all be able to answer it. To rephrase it a bit, why put them on in the first place ?
Any call for aid probably trumps what the majority of citizens are out doing in their cars on a given morning. The ability to cross the yellow line, to use the oncoming lane, to not wait for 6 cars waiting for a light to change and then turn left,.....well, lights or sirens help us do that. Abiding by every traffic control device and waiting for every driver in front of us is using a lot of time that most drivers will gladly give us if they know we have someplace to go. Lights and sirens let other drivers know a vehicle may not be where they expect it to be and that that vehicle would like a little courtesy.
Lights and sirens are like any other tool, useful if used wisely and for an intended purpose. Light functions in a straight line. It is very useful for signaling oncoming traffic and moderately useful for signaling same direction traffic ahead [if the driver is using his rear view mirror for more than hanging fuzzy dice]. Lights have no effect on traffic that is not direct line of sight.
Sound MAY--and that's a huge 'may'--- signal drivers not in line of sight. Physics here is key and I will skip the details unless people really want me to dig it up, but given sight lines in intersections, sound proofing in cars, reaction time of sober adults, and speed through intersections------- 10 to 15 miles an hour is as fast as a vehicle RLS can enter an intersection against a stop sign or red light. And that is if no one is texting.
So for me, lights [and much less often, sirens] is a way to say, "Excuse me." and move to the head of the line , but it doesn't mean one has to significantly increase speed. And if one does increase speed to the point that one outruns the usefulness of the lights and sirens, then that person is begging to have a collision for which that person will be responsible,and which will significantly increase response time for that call.
So, yes light and sirens are an essential part of the conversation that emergency vehicles have with other vehicles out on the road. But that conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. Lights and sirens in no way give us the right to be aggressive with or disrespectful to other drivers.