'It puts our lives in danger': First Responders and SGI advocate for safety around emergency vehicles

First responders and SGI have partnered together to promote safety around emergency vehicles at the Prince Albert salvage centre Tuesday evening. They want to remind the public to reduce their speed when passing crews on the highway.

“Our goal with this event was to bring the community in with some really engaging demonstrations,” Michaela Solomon, a spokesperson with SGI said in an interview with CTV News.

According to the latest statistics from SGI, in 2021 there were 53 collisions involving emergency vehicles-nine of which resulted in injuries. SGI numbers also show there were 1,744 convictions for failing to slow to 60km/h.

Local firefighters demonstrated a vehicle extrication commonly known as the ‘Jaws of Life’. Prince Albert deputy fire chief Alex Paul said crews often work on the side or in the middle of the road.

 “It puts our lives in danger when traffic is passing by us at a high rate of speed,” he told CTV News.

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Paul said it’s not uncommon for drivers to speed past, and said first responders have to be aware of their surroundings.

“It's unfortunate that we have to spend a portion of our time on those scenes concentrating on the traffic around us, as opposed to concentrating on the job that needs to be done,” he said.

He encourages drivers to watch for emergency lights and to always pay attention to the road.