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Each year I ask United Fire Authority (UFA) for statistics on the number of calls they go to each year. These calls include Medical and Fire calls. According to UFA, “Medical Calls include incidents that are dispatched as medical in nature.The total number includes traffic accidents, welfare checks, and those incidents that are “mutual aid” (assistance given to or received by other agencies) and those incident in which UFA units were cancelled en route or upon arrival.” “Fire Calls include all incidents that are dispatched as flood or water issues, alarms, grass or wildland fires, structure fires and incidents that considered hazardous in nature (fuel spills, gas leaks, CO monitoring, etc.) This number also includes cancelled calls and fire related incident that are “mutual aid” (assistance given to or received by another agency)”
During 2019 Eagle Mountain UFA responded to 916 Medical Calls and 283 Fire Calls. The break down by month is included in the report that is attached below.
| YEAR | Fire | Medical | Total Dispatched |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 239 | 538 | 777 |
| 2017 | 291 | 664 | 955 |
| 2018 | 380 | 672 | 1052 |
| 2019 | 283 | 916 | 1199 |
Remember when you see emergency vehicles you need to surrender the right of way to them. Lets keep alert and move over and yield to them. Allowing them through can save lives. In most cases seconds can matter significantly. The Utah Department of Safety reminds us, “You see them pulled over on the side of the road: a police car with its lights flashing, maybe a tow truck, too. You look over — you’re naturally curious about what’s happened. But, it turns out, that’s one of the worst things you can do.” [Source]
In an article titled “What do drivers need to do when an emergency vehicle approaches?” found in the Standard Examiner, the topic is discussed in more depth.
The Utah law that addresses this issue, Title 41-6a-904, states that when an emergency vehicle approaches, motorists must “yield the right-of-way and immediately move to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right-hand edge or curb of the highway, clear of any intersection; and then stop and remain stopped until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed.”The article continues:
For the most part, Utah drivers are pretty good about moving over for emergency vehicles, according to Eynon (Lt. Brian Eynon with Ogden Police Department). But one area in which they could improve, he says, is observing the common courtesy to allow vehicles ahead of them to merge back onto the road afterward. When an emergency vehicle passes, some motorists don’t pull completely off the road and stop. They merely slow down, and then quickly resume their travel after it passes. This can cause merging conflicts with the motorists ahead of them who did come to a complete stop and are now trying to get back onto the road.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.