Push for blue lights on ambulances
WAVES Paramedic Luke Gasowski interviewed for a story regarding a campaign to change NYS law to permit rear facing blue lights on ambulances.
Camillus (WSYR-TV) - A statewide movement to allow blue lights on the back of ambulances is taking shape among some emergency responders. It is meant to protect first responders and their patients on the side of the road, but would require a change in state law.
It's currently illegal for ambulances to have blue lights, but that rule doesn't apply to fire truck and police cars.
WAVES Ambulance Paramedic Luke Gasowski says paramedics deserve the same protection as officers and firefighters. "When you're out on the side of the road, unfortunately that's the most dangerous thing we do is work out on the side of the roadways," he said.
Gasowski says he and his peers have frequent close-calls with passing drivers. "We're on the side of the road and cars are coming very close and honestly, it's that they haven't seen us in time or they didn't realize where we were working around the emergency scene," Gasowski said.
It’s a situation that could be prevented if ambulances were able to use blue lights. The color is more reflective, allowing drivers to see it from farther distances than red lights.
Gasowski adds that the ambulances even came with blue lights, but the lenses had to be changed to red to comply with the New York State law.
Syracuse Police use blue lights on the back of some of their patrol cars and say it has improved their safety on the road.
Rural Metro Ambulance in Syracuse says they use amber-colored lights, which are usually associated with construction vehicles but not emergency vehicles. They say it helps tell passing drivers to slow down, but avoids creating a dangerous situation for curious drivers who might take their eyes off the road ahead.
