2scents -“First, Cops DO pull over cars even if they have EMT or VAS plates.”
What it boils down to is the cop’s perception. I’ve been pulled over many times by cops during a response. Of course since I was legit – I didn’t get a ticket. In parts of NJ where they aren’t used to having people respond in personal vehicles, I’ve gotten pulled over. This was probably true once upon a time in NY. Nowadays with almost every cop in NY and other areas where Hatzolah responds, you’d be hardpressed to find a cop who’s ignorant about personal response. So they don’t pull over cars with Cherrys anymore. This is how people who aren’t even a member of any emerg. org. get away with using lights and sirens -they don’t check up anymore. So if a cop sees a Frum man using lights and sirens, he just assumes they are Hatzolah and ignores them.
“Regarding lights and sirens, I do not believe that Hatzoloh members abuse them, the consequences are to big to use them when not on an emergency.”
Either you’re very ignorant or you have an agenda.
I’ve have friends admit to me that they have abused their lights and sirens. And these are guys who are very on the up & up, but anybody can fall prey to the Yetzer Hora. So what do you think about the guy on Hatzolah who isn’t there for the right reasons?
Do you think he never abuses his priviliges?
“You might see someone turn on the lights and sirens only to shut them a few seconds later, this happens all the time, either the patient stopped choking or the first member on scene radioed the units to slow it down.”
Or the guy got through the red light and didn’t need the lights & siren anymore. (Whether on a call or not.) Your scenarios are possible but it’s easy to tell if this is indeed the case. A guy with a scanner can easily tell by listening if there are any calls in the neighborhod. Even during a call it’s easy to tell, if let’s say two units who were dispatched report on the scene and with the ambulance already responding. So there would be no units with lights and sirens enroute. You have to be dispatched to the call -you just can’t go.
These abuses are real, despite any denial from some posters here.
But like I said before, if you want change, the only ones that can make change are the elected/gov. officials. Coming here does nothing besides making you feel good.