After having trouble navigating a crowded Highway Four after a boat fire at Lac Pelletier, the RM of Swift Current Fire Department is reminding folks to make way for EMS vehicles. 

They had their lights on, it was broad daylight, and there was no reason for folks to have not heard the sirens as they attempted to take their charges to the hospital. 

For Louis Cherpin, the fire chief for the RM of Swift Current Fire Department, it's a pressing issue that deserves examination by everyone who drives on the road. 

"There has been an issue in responding to incidents, whether it's grass fires, medical, or MVC's that we as fire departments are trying to respond to a call to emergency," said Cherpin. "We're getting held up in traffic by people not paying attention to the roads."

Cherpin highlighted how in a life or death scenario, every second matters. That is why it is the law that vehicles must make way for firetrucks, ambulances and police vehicles when they have their lights and sirens on. Cherpin understands that the music may be loud, and eyes or on the road, but that should only delay folks by no more than a few seconds. 

Mirrors should be checked regularly, and music should never be so loud that it can block out sirens. In the basic Saskatchewan Drivers test, learning drivers are expected to know how to properly orientate their mirrors so that they have easy access to views to the left, right, and rear of the vehicle. The written portion of the test also confirms what steps must be taken when emergency vehicles are approaching. 

Everyone who has taken this test knows these steps. 

Cherpin would like everyone to please be considerate of his and other teams on the highway. 

"I really do believe that Saskatchewan drivers do understand the rules of the road, and do, for the most part, pay attention," said Cherpin. "Still, for those that don't, it's important for our welfare, for your welfare and for the wellness of the person we're attending to, for everyone to be paying attention to their surroundings. Whether it's turning your radio down a couple of notches or making a habit of looking in the mirrors."

 

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