Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative, 2014

• NCJ Number: 245343
• Date Published: February 2014
• Length: 170 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2009-DE-R-103
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Grant Sponsored); Instructional Material

Annotation

This report, which was authorized by the U.S. Fire Administration under funding from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), updates the initial Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative.

Abstract

This report has three purposes. First, it documents the magnitude of injuries and deaths related to emergency vehicle and roadway scene operations. Second, it informs emergency responders of the research on emergency vehicle response and roadway incident safety over the past decade. Third, it identifies various situations in which the research information applies to emergency operations. One chapter presents statistics and case studies regarding injuries and deaths related to the operation of emergency vehicles in responding to fires, conducting law enforcement duties, and performing emergency medical services. The case studies involve firefighter and law enforcement officer fatalities while operating vehicles responding to emergencies. A chapter on "Common Crash Causes and Their Prevention" identifies 13 prevalent factors in injuries and deaths of emergency personnel while operating or riding in emergency vehicles in the line of duty. Other issues addressed in the report's chapters are the impact of vehicle design and maintenance on safety; internal and external factors related to improving response-related safety; the regulation of emergency vehicle response and roadway scene safety; and the responsibilities and management of the response to roadway incidents. Eleven recommendations are offered for improving the safety of emergency workers while traveling in emergency vehicles and managing vehicles at the scene of an emergency. Appended resource Web sites and information sources