# Why you shouldn’t park in front of fire hydrants



## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Anaheim Fire & Rescue posted pictures Tuesday showing the dire, and expensive, consequences of parking beside a fire hydrant for any unwitting and careless driver foolish enough to chance their aim.









Both rear windows of the Nissan sedan at Tuesday’s residential fire were smashed in to make room for the fire hose to fit through so emergency responders could do their job battling a blaze across the street.

“There is a reason the curbs are RED people,” Anaheim PD tweeted in solidarity with their firefighting colleagues.

The standard fine for parking in front of a fire hydrant is $80. Replacing the broken windows would depend entirely on the type of car, but would definitely add insult to injury.

Some Twitter users questioned why the fire department needed to break the windows, though many applauded them for a job well done.

The fire hose reportedly doesn’t fit underneath vehicles, and the potential damage caused to either the vehicle or the hose itself by placing it on top would be more than the cost of the broken windows.

https://www.rt.com/usa/452584-anahei...roken-windows/


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

The dogs don't like you blocking the hydrants too. Don't leave your windows open if you do.


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

nehimama said:


> Anaheim Fire & Rescue posted pictures Tuesday showing the dire, and expensive, consequences of parking beside a fire hydrant for any unwitting and careless driver foolish enough to chance their aim.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The car's owner is lucky that's all that happened. Here, your car would have been impounded and you could have been privilege to a nice lawsuit.


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## Falfrenzy (Aug 20, 2018)

NFG. Hope the Fire Dept had fun doing it.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

Sucks to be that person, hopefully a lesson learned


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

So obvious the fire department went out of their way to be a pain in the butt. Therr was no need to break two windows that was stupid . It would have made far more sense to have broken one window and opened both doors the fire hose then would’ve ran straight away from the fire hydrant.


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## gilberte (Sep 25, 2004)

Worked many years side-by-side with the fire department. They took considerable glee in dealing with miscreants who chose to park in front of hydrants. Saw them smash out many a window on a fire call. Then I would also leave the owner with a ticket for parking in front of a hydrant.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

sure, they could have run it through an open door, but why have any pity on that person ?
this way maybe they learned a lesson, 
and yes, I can see how the responders got some satisfaction from this.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

QBecause the open doors would have been doing their job more affectively. 
Last I heard the fire department was not in the education business


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

It’s a typical case of giving a petty bureaucrat with a tiny mind a tiny amount of authority and seeing the abuse they can do with it .
I get it we all laughed at the idea of instant karma retribution but the truth of the matter is it was criminal mischief on the fire department side. Worse yet it was horse play during emergency situation the time they wasted doing what they did they have cost a life. 
I don’t know if they still do but back when I was a firefighter they actually taught this in school .I thought it was wrong sitting in that class and to this day I still think it is wrong.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

It’s a typical case of giving a petty bureaucrat with a tiny mind a tiny amount of authority and seeing the abuse they can do with it .
I get it we all laughed at the idea of instant karma retribution but the truth of the matter is it was criminal mischief on the fire department side. Worse yet it was horse play during emergency situation the time they wasted doing what they did they have cost a life. 
I don’t know if they still do but back when I was a firefighter they actually taught this in school .I thought it was wrong sitting in that class and to this day I still think it is wrong.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

There is one easy way to avoid broken windows and arguing over who is at fault....just don't park there.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Best idea yet.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

This happens quite often actually. You can find pictures all over of it.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

If a car is parked in front of a hydrant here when it is needed for use, not only are the windows knocked out to route the hose with the least strain on the hose, after the fire response, the car is impounded, the driver ticketed and charged with the cost of a quality retest of the fire hose that had to be routed through their vehicle because the canvas and rubber lined hoses are designed to be draped to the ground, not hung through a car at a more intense angle

If the hose fails the quality pressure test, the owner of the car that was improperly parked is also charged the cost of a replacement section of hose.

A driver of a Hummer blocked a hydrant a few years back and the fire department engineer concluded window routing would be too much strain on the hose and they ended up cutting the rear doors off the Hummer to safely route the hose.

Hydrants and fire zones are marked for reason and those who park illegally in front of them learn the hard way of why the hydrants and space in front of them are marked as fire zones.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

AmericanStand said:


> It would have made far more sense to have broken one window and opened both doors the fire hose then would’ve ran straight away from the fire hydrant.


Swinging the door open would have made it worse. 
It's too close to the hydrant and would have been in the way.


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## jimLE (Apr 18, 2018)

And taking time to open the doors would of taken longer.the home that's on fire comes first.especially if there's a remote possibility of someone being in there or not.pkuss a opened car door opening into the street puts hamper on things


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

jimLE said:


> And taking time to open the doors would of taken longer.the home that's on fire comes first.especially if there's a remote possibility of someone being in there or not.pkuss a opened car door opening into the street puts hamper on things


We can agree that getting hot water to the house comes first,
But busting out those two windows actually takes longer than opening the doors
I know it doesn’t seem like it would fire hose can actually be a fairly delicate item and dragging it through glass shards in the door is a guaranteed way to split it up
So you not only have to bust a glass out you have to be sure to bust and clear all the glass from the bottom edge it’s quicker to bust a different window open and open the doors that are in the way Particularlyin a four-door car
The doors being open or no problem at all since there’s a fire hose running right there it’s not like somebody’s going to come along and drive over the firehose
I understand some of this is counterintuitive and I know everybody always appliads when the fire department does it. I think it’s the instant karma so satisfying.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

By the way the fire department doesn’t have the right to bust the windows out there are certain circumstance where it is allowed and that is the reason for making those announcements like in the OP it helps get everybody thinking along the lines of oh yes the fire department hast to do this


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 28, 2017)

If it was my home and my family or my business that was but in danger by the slightest amount of wasted effort and time required to handle the illegal parking problem I would make every effort to turn that illegal parking into a lesson that would never ever be forgotten.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

How ?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

AmericanStand said:


> By the way the fire department doesn’t have the right to bust the windows out there are *certain circumstance where it is allowed*


One of those is when you park illegally in front of a hydrant.


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## Falfrenzy (Aug 20, 2018)

"A driver of a Hummer blocked a hydrant a few years back and the fire department engineer concluded window routing would be too much strain on the hose and they ended up cutting the rear doors off the Hummer to safely route the hose."

That's malicious destruction and that fire department should be prosecuted.

They could put a chain onto the vehicle and pull it out of the parking spot much faster. 
The fire fighters just wanted to be jerks and destroy a vehicle because they "can".


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Falfrenzy said:


> They could put a chain onto the vehicle and pull it out of the parking spot much faster.
> The fire fighters just wanted to be jerks and destroy a vehicle because they "can".


That's just not true. When they show up they put the engine in the proper place. It doesn't move after that. Then 4 or 5 guys get out and 2 hook the engine up to water. 2 others get the 1 3/4' hose toward the building on fire. One runs command. 

If your spouse was trapped in the building and died would you say "It's ok because at least they spend 10 minutes not being a jerk and moved that Hummer out of the way first."


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

Falfrenzy said:


> "A driver of a Hummer blocked a hydrant a few years back and the fire department engineer concluded window routing would be too much strain on the hose and they ended up cutting the rear doors off the Hummer to safely route the hose."
> 
> That's malicious destruction and that fire department should be prosecuted.
> 
> ...


OK, and while they are prosecuting the fire dept,
they should also be prosecuting the hummer owner.
and it was NOT parked in a parking space.. 
and dragging a vehicle with a chain which is in park could cause more costly damage to the vehicle than what the door replacement cost.


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 28, 2017)

Probably a bad idea..... but I am sensing that some think its ok to block a fire hydrant or other similar issues with emergency access. 

So I am going to ask, what thought process would think its ok ?


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

In my experience firemen just have a predilection to break things with their axes.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Falfrenzy said:


> "A driver of a Hummer blocked a hydrant a few years back and the fire department engineer concluded window routing would be too much strain on the hose and they ended up cutting the rear doors off the Hummer to safely route the hose."
> 
> That's malicious destruction and that fire department should be prosecuted.
> 
> ...


People would be surprised how much authority fire departments have in emergency situations. Generally the hose coming off a fire hydrant is a large diameter hose (LDH). The LDH is the suction line for an engine. They don't bend in a short radius. The attack lines which came off the engine are smaller. Breaking the windows and clearing the glass took seconds. In less than a half minute the hose was through that car and charged. Fire engines aren't tow trucks. Jerking a car out with a chain on a street with other cars would have probably resulted in more damage. It would have meant moving the car out of the way and would have taken more time to stage the apparatus.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Falfrenzy said:


> They could put a chain onto the vehicle and pull it out of the parking spot much faster.


That's assuming they have a chain, and have room to situate vehicles to do the pulling.
We know they have equipment to cut through things.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

Falfrenzy said:


> "A driver of a Hummer blocked a hydrant a few years back and the fire department engineer concluded window routing would be too much strain on the hose and they ended up cutting the rear doors off the Hummer to safely route the hose."
> 
> That's malicious destruction and that fire department should be prosecuted.
> 
> ...


When the engines roll to a stop in place at a hydrant, hose is already auto laid and the area around the engine and access to the hydrant take priority.

The pumper engineer concluded that cutting off four door hinges was the quickest response to the problem.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Redlands Okie said:


> Probably a bad idea..... but I am sensing that some think its ok to block a fire hydrant or other similar issues with emergency access.
> 
> So I am going to ask, what thought process would think its ok ?


I don’t think it’s a thought process that says it’s OK to block a fire hydrant I think it’s a thought process that thanks it’s not to destroy other people’s private property for fun. 
A car parked in front of a fire hydrant is not a license for the fire department to destroy it. 
For instance in the opening post
It would have been faster just to have opened the doors. That would’ve also resulted in a better angle for the hose to proceed. 
In other words the farm and went out of their way and created a worse situation for themselves than if they had simply opened the doors. 
That’s why they did the TV interview public opinion damage control. 
Why do so many people here seem to feel that it’s OK to destroy someone’s car for fun?


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

mreynolds said:


> If your spouse was trapped in the building and died would you say "It's ok because at least they spend 10 minutes not being a jerk and moved that Hummer out of the way first."


 And would you say oh it’s ok they goofed around Extra minute so they could be butt holes ?


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

AmericanStand said:


> And would you say oh it’s ok they goofed around Extra minute so they could be butt holes ?


How is getting water to the engine in the fastest way possible goofing around?


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

AmericanStand said:


> I don’t think it’s a thought process that says it’s OK to block a fire hydrant I think it’s a thought process that thanks it’s not to destroy other people’s private property for fun.
> A car parked in front of a fire hydrant is not a license for the fire department to destroy it.
> For instance in the opening post
> It would have been faster just to have opened the doors. That would’ve also resulted in a better angle for the hose to proceed.
> ...


One of the topics that's been hot in the fire service community is situational awareness. There's a lot of adrenaline pumping through the veins of firefighters when they roll up on a scene. I saw a young firefighter take a fire axe to the metal door of a Dairy Queen. I was impressed by the adrenaline fueled action that lasted many minutes. That was forty years ago. Entry tools have greatly improved. It goes to show that training needs to direct that adrenaline flow. Unfortunately fastest is usually bestest when time is short and you're about to face the dragon. Situational awareness isn't on the check list.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

mreynolds said:


> How is getting water to the engine in the fastest way possible goofing around?


 Because knocking the glass out of the windows isn’t always the fastest way.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

AmericanStand said:


> Because knocking the glass out of the windows isn’t always the fastest way.


No one said it was "always the fastest way."
In this case it was fastest and best.


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## Tnff319 (May 28, 2012)

Armchair quarterbacking is easy. None of us were there so second guessing is a little unfair. Evaluating to learn is an ok practice as is holding people accountable for recklessness. 


The driver could have probably laid the hose over the hood, roof, or trunk of the car. It’s hard to see the angle from the pictures but the windows may have been the best angle. Going through to open doors seems unlikely due to the angle. 


Cutting the doors off a hummer sounds like an urban legend but I guess it could happen. Seems like a total waste of time. Go under a lifted vehicle or find another hydrant. Maybe they are not spaced very close together.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Our laws stipulate impeding firefighters or ambulances can have serious consequences. It's not okay to just block a fire hydrant because it's more convenient to find a legal parking space and at best, the consequences can range a ticket, tow bill and impound charges or damages to your vehicle. 

It isn't up to firefighters to find a time consuming solution to accomodate someone who's broken the law and I think most of us would be angry if we watched firemen dig out a set of chains, hook onto a vehicle and drag it out of the way, while our home was burning. 

It also bears mention that dragging a vehicle with an automatic transmission will result in significantly more damage that taking out a couple windows. 

In my opinion, blocking a fire hydrant is a ingorant as those able bodied souls who use handicap parking spaces and justify their actions because, 'they'll only be a few minutes.'


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Tnff319 said:


> Armchair quarterbacking is easy. None of us were there so second guessing is a little unfair. Evaluating to learn is an ok practice as is holding people accountable for recklessness.
> 
> 
> The driver could have probably laid the hose over the hood, roof, or trunk of the car. It’s hard to see the angle from the pictures but the windows may have been the best angle. Going through to open doors seems unlikely due to the angle.
> ...


LDH hose isn't as flexible as the small stuff used for attack. Even attack lines have a larger bend radius than you'd think.


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 28, 2017)

Block a fire hydrant or otherwise impede emergency services doing their job and people are worried about a couple broken windows. Amazing. 
Seems common sense and understanding the harm they are causing is not understood. They should loose the vehicle, be fined, and maybe some jail time.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

In the picture in the original post there are cars parked behind the car, so it would be reasonable to figure there are also cars parked in front of it. It would be very difficult to get the car towed out of the way of the hydrant. Besides, ever call a tow truck? They run when they feel like it. Even the police don't have the best of luck getting them to respond after an accident. The firemen did not know the hydrant was blocked until they arrived at the scene. Getting a truck to tow the car would have taken considerably longer. 

There also might not have been enough room to open the door and still access the port on the side of the hydrant. Those wrenches are pretty big and a lot of room is needed to open a hydrant.


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

wr said:


> Our laws stipulate impeding firefighters or ambulances can have serious consequences. It's not okay to just block a fire hydrant because it's more convenient to find a legal parking space and at best, the consequences can range a ticket, tow bill and impound charges or damages to your vehicle.
> 
> It isn't up to firefighters to find a time consuming solution to accomodate someone who's broken the law and I think most of us would be angry if we watched firemen dig out a set of chains, hook onto a vehicle and drag it out of the way, while our home was burning.
> 
> ...



As much as I hate to see the use of power abused by gov't employees, I have to agree with you and the rest that this wasn't the case here.
Blocking the hydrant is not only stupid, but a danger to others. Replacing the windows won't be fun, but after reading some of the comments from those who know, I can't think of a better or faster way to have gotten the job done.
The fact that it was a "teachable moment" is just bonus.





Danaus29 said:


> In the picture in the original post there are cars parked behind the car, so it would be reasonable to figure there are also cars parked in front of it. It would be very difficult to get the car towed out of the way of the hydrant. Besides, ever call a tow truck? They run when they feel like it. Even the police don't have the best of luck getting them to respond after an accident. The firemen did not know the hydrant was blocked until they arrived at the scene. Getting a truck to tow the car would have taken considerably longer.
> 
> There also might not have been enough room to open the door and still access the port on the side of the hydrant. Those wrenches are pretty big and a lot of room is needed to open a hydrant.


I didn't think of that, the doors open and still being an interference. When I looked again, I think you could be right.
I also noticed a few open parking spaces nearby, so the driver screwed up, no matter what.
Also in a tight street like that the door opened into the street impedes OTHER vehicles that might have to get by the whole time the hose is being used.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Pretty cool video of hydrant opening, flushing and hose attachment. I didn't know stuff could end up in the hydrant.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

OK, and as someone stated, why not just open the doors ?
how many people park their car and leave the doors unlocked ??
an open door would not impede traffic, because the road would have been closed off so nobody runs over the hoses..
I think the person who owned the car was lucky that they didn't punch holes through the doors with their mighty axes .. LOL


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## Tnff319 (May 28, 2012)

Darren said:


> LDH hose isn't as flexible as the small stuff used for attack. Even attack lines have a larger bend radius than you'd think.


Right. I’m aware of LDH bends. Firefighters are paid to think on their feet. They need to create a solution that limits damage. It hurts public image for the fire department to punish people. That’s a law enforcement matter. I believe the car driver got exactly what was deserved for what it’s worth. A tow and steep fine should have happened after the incident.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> OK, and as someone stated, why not just open the doors ?
> how many people park their car and leave the doors unlocked ??
> an open door would not impede traffic, because the road would have been closed off so nobody runs over the hoses..
> I think the person who owned the car was lucky that they didn't punch holes through the doors with their mighty axes .. LOL


Watch the video I posted. Did you know they have to clear and flush the hydrant before installing the hose? They also have to have room to open the hydrant. I don't see how that's possible when working around an open car door.


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## Falfrenzy (Aug 20, 2018)

AmericanStand said:


> I don’t think it’s a thought process that says it’s OK to block a fire hydrant I think it’s a thought process that thanks it’s not to destroy other people’s private property for fun.
> A car parked in front of a fire hydrant is not a license for the fire department to destroy it.
> For instance in the opening post
> It would have been faster just to have opened the doors. That would’ve also resulted in a better angle for the hose to proceed.
> ...


I agree and you interpreted my post as was intended.

Parking in front of a fire hydrant is illegal and foolish. I am not condoning the act a some think I am doing.

However, that doesn't give the Fire Department carte blanche to destroy a vehicle. To those who are taking the position of "the ends justify the means" I think that you need to think about what happens when you allow government employees to act without restraint. There's a reason that the 8th Amendment to the Constitution exists.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

[QUOTE="Danaus29, post: 8311546, member: 17721" I don't see how that's possible when working around an open car door.[/QUOTE]

Why would you do that ?


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Ever wonder why they don’t just put the spaces to end at the hydrant ?


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Falfrenzy said:


> I agree and you interpreted my post as was intended.
> 
> Parking in front of a fire hydrant is illegal and foolish. I am not condoning the act a some think I am doing.
> 
> However, that doesn't give the Fire Department carte blanche to destroy a vehicle. To those who are taking the position of "the ends justify the means" I think that you need to think about what happens when you allow government employees to act without restraint. There's a reason that the 8th Amendment to the Constitution exists.


I feel you're reaching a bit. Nobody has said that the fire department should have carte blanche to destroy vehicles but emergency services do need to be able to conduct business in a reasonable manner. Should firefighters who arrive at a fire, look under the mat for a door key or is it acceptable to force open a door and should we expect them to run up and down the block to find the nearest hydrant not blocked by a vehicle and hope they have enough hose to be effective? Should police use whatever method they need to access a home after a 911 call, use lethal force if they're being threatened or put up roadblocks to ensure public safety? Should we expect an ambulance to obey the posted speed limit and find an available parking space before they attend to someone injured?

Certain government employees have plenty of latitude at their discretion, while performing their duties. 

I think it's a shame that someone had the misfortune of illegally parking and had their vehicle damaged but the but it can be the unintended consequences of breaking the law. The biggest problem we have in North America is the belief that there should be no consequences for their actions. 

I find it hard to find sympathy for the owner of the aforementioned hummer, who I would suggest has ample money to pay the odd ticked for blocking a fire hydrant and suddenly discovered that they consequences of their thoughtless actions was a bit more significant. 

I recently mentioned to a woman that she was parked in a handicap space and her response seems typical of these situations. "It's okay, I'll be out long before the cops show up to give me a ticket and I'll be long gone before the tow truck," with not a thought to the handicap person that was going to have to make it across an icy parking lot.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Falfrenzy said:


> I agree and you interpreted my post as was intended.
> 
> Parking in front of a fire hydrant is illegal and foolish. I am not condoning the act a some think I am doing.
> 
> However, that doesn't give the Fire Department carte blanche to destroy a vehicle. To those who are taking the position of "the ends justify the means" I think that you need to *think about what happens when you allow government employees to act without restraint*. There's a reason that the 8th Amendment to the Constitution exists.


They weren't "acting without restraint".
They were putting out a fire in the fastest possible manner.

The only one who "acted without restraint" was the fool who blocked the hydrant.


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## nchobbyfarm (Apr 10, 2011)

Falfrenzy said:


> "A driver of a Hummer blocked a hydrant a few years back and the fire department engineer concluded window routing would be too much strain on the hose and they ended up cutting the rear doors off the Hummer to safely route the hose."
> 
> That's malicious destruction and that fire department should be prosecuted.
> 
> ...


Obviously you have never ridden on a fire truck and been met by a hysterical, crying person pleading to save their family member upon pulling up on a scene if you have any concern about a vehicle blocking a fire hydrant.


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## 101pigs (Sep 18, 2018)

AmericanStand said:


> It’s a typical case of giving a petty bureaucrat with a tiny mind a tiny amount of authority and seeing the abuse they can do with it .
> I get it we all laughed at the idea of instant karma retribution but the truth of the matter is it was criminal mischief on the fire department side. Worse yet it was horse play during emergency situation the time they wasted doing what they did they have cost a life.
> I don’t know if they still do but back when I was a firefighter they actually taught this in school .I thought it was wrong sitting in that class and to this day I still think it is wrong.


It maybe took 20 seconds to break out the windows for the hose. Time is the most important things in fire fighting. If someone child was asleep across the street in that building time would be very important. I agree with the fire department on this issue. The fire fighters were just following orders from their bosses.


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## nchobbyfarm (Apr 10, 2011)

101pigs said:


> It maybe took 20 seconds to break out the windows for the hose. Time is the most important things in fire fighting. If someone child was asleep across the street in that building time would be very important. I agree with the fire department on this issue. The fire fighters were just following orders from their bosses.


Most people cannot fathom how important every second CAN be in fighting a structure fire and/or saving someone in that fire.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

AmericanStand said:


> Why would you do that ?


Some people were saying the fire dept should have just opened the doors. Read the quote I posted in my post that you quoted. They should not have to try to work around an open car door and risk injury to themselves or slamming the door on the hose. Clearing the hydrant would also flood the car making the "open door" suggestion much more expensive than just breaking the car windows.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)




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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

I am the one that suggest opening the doors but I can’t understand why you would work around the open doors.
I would pull the hose clear though hydrant open the doors run the hose through the doors turn the hydrant on. 
Other than a few twist with the doors open you would not be working around the doors

If they are busting the windows before they clear the hydrant they are truly just being Vandals it is not uncommon for a hydrant not to work busting the windows before that would be a waste of time and pointless.


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## Tnff319 (May 28, 2012)

Bearfootfarm said:


> View attachment 75702


Open doors may have worked perfectly in that case.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

AmericanStand said:


> Because knocking the glass out of the windows isn’t always the fastest way.


You still don't understand the dynamics involved. A 2 1/2" hose will bend real easy when there is no water in it. One water is introduced it doesn't bend hardly at all. 

Do you realize how high a Hummer window is off the ground? A lot higher than the hydrant I can tell you that. 

But what if they were using a 5" hose?

Without all of the info like how far away was the Hummer. Could just breaking the glass and opening the door have worked? It all depends on the angle and distance of the Hummer to the hydrant. 

But go ahead and make snap judgements without all the information. It seems to be an epidemic these days.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

OK people let’s have a little common sense here how sawing the doors off of a hummer be quicker than simply opening the doors?
How could routing a hose through the hammer be quicker than simply throwing it underneath it? Remember a hummer has a lot of clearance !
You could route a 12 inch hose underneath it with no problem


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Tnff319 said:


> Open doors may have worked perfectly in that case.


They still would have had to break one window and then clean any glass off the seats to get to the door on the other side.

I imagine it's much faster to break the windows and wipe off the sill.

A better solution would be some bollards installed in front of hydrants that would make it impossible to block them, but that would be costly and dangerous.


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## Tnff319 (May 28, 2012)

Bearfootfarm said:


> They still would have had to break one window and then clean any glass off the seats to get to the door on the other side.
> 
> I imagine it's much faster to break the windows and wipe off the sill.
> 
> A better solution would be some bollards installed in front of hydrants that would make it impossible to block them, but that would be costly and dangerous.


Break the drivers window and open the rear doors. No glass to clear. It’s time consuming to clear all the little pieces. 

I don’t understand why the police don’t tow the vehicles blocking hydrants. They love to generate revenue from speeding tickets. Seems they could make some money at the impound lot.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Yep that’s exactly what they taught us at fire school


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## 101pigs (Sep 18, 2018)

Tnff319 said:


> Break the drivers window and open the rear doors. No glass to clear. It’s time consuming to clear all the little pieces.
> 
> I don’t understand why the police don’t tow the vehicles blocking hydrants. They love to generate revenue from speeding tickets. Seems they could make some money at the impound lot.


Police remove the auto when the firetrucks is not there. However if their is a fire and the firetrucks get there they don't have time to call police and wait for it to be removed. Time is very important when dealing with a fire. To be a fireman one has to be quick thinking, strong, smart enough to carry out duties under very bad conditions. Most are young enough and smart enough to handle about any type of condition fast. Not everybody can be a fireman. I know i would not want to be one. Going in to a burning building and saving a life takes clear mine and strong will and strong body. I support them all i can.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Tnff319 said:


> I don’t understand why the police don’t tow the vehicles blocking hydrants.


They often do.
It wouldn't be possible to tow that car without moving the other cars first.

They won't wait for a wrecker when they need the hydrant though.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

I don't park in front of a fire hydrant, neither do you. so why should this driver be treated special ? he had the same choice as we did, he chose to gamble that the hydrant wouldn't be needed. he lost this time.
when did this turn into Good Housekeeping ? 
whose idea was it to clean up the glass ?
more than likely the doors were locked. so windows have to go.. 
steel posts would probably do the job. but consider if the hydrant is in snow country . that would sure slow down the plows.. posts are not needed.. there is a law.
that should be enough.. it is for me..


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Do you know why he is parked there ?
Neither do we.
There may be extenuating circumstances. 
More than that this is a nation of laws and burdens placed on governments. 
We are not a nation of people for the convenience of our government the government is there for our convenience. 
So the government is not allowed to destroy our property without legal proceedings.
With the exception of course of an emergency. Even in an emergency the governments duty is to redeuce the distrucktion as much as possible. 
So that’s what we are discussing here was the distrucktion a emergency and was to destruction as minimal as possible ?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

AmericanStand said:


> *Do you know why* he is parked there ?


Yes.
He (or she) is an idiot.



AmericanStand said:


> So that’s what we are discussing here *was the distrucktion a emergency* and was to destruction as minimal as possible ?


That was answered when the fire alarm went off.


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 28, 2017)

Hmm. Time for some entertainment. I am willing to wind things up a level 

It would be nice if it was legal for ANYONE and EVERYONE to make sure vehicles blocking a fire hydrant were prepped and prepared for possible fire hydrant. Any time any place. Just in case it might be need to be accessed. No need to waste the fireman’s time and energy in case they needed to use the hydrant. 

Of course tickets and towing would still be options for when the authorities got around to it.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

I help park cars for football games in So. Louisiana; Game goers CHOOSE to park by the hydrants, and no one believes me when I suggest they park elsewhere (not necessarily at our place, and no, I've never called the police.) ...they think there is special dispensation for and during "important" football games. They also just leave their cars/trucks in the roadway!!!


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

There is a special mindset to sports fans when they get close to their idols


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

AmericanStand said:


> Do you know why he is parked there ?
> Neither do we.
> There may be extenuating circumstances.
> More than that this is a nation of laws and burdens placed on governments.
> ...


Do we need to know why someone chose to break the law or can we simply assume that the laws regarding blocking fire hydrants are in place for public safety and should be obeyed? Should we offer the same amount of sympathy to anyone who breaks the law and discovers there are consequences or only those that interfere with the fire department? 

When discussing property destruction, the individual or business who called 911 deserves some recognition as well. What kind of response time do they deserve, what level of destruction should they expect if firefighters can't assess water and could their level of destruction have been minimized cars are not parked illegally?


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## Tnff319 (May 28, 2012)

Bearfootfarm said:


> They often do.
> It wouldn't be possible to tow that car without moving the other cars first.
> 
> They won't wait for a wrecker when they need the hydrant though.





101pigs said:


> Police remove the auto when the firetrucks is not there. However if their is a fire and the firetrucks get there they don't have time to call police and wait for it to be removed. Time is very important when dealing with a fire. To be a fireman one has to be quick thinking, strong, smart enough to carry out duties under very bad conditions. Most are young enough and smart enough to handle about any type of condition fast. Not everybody can be a fireman. I know i would not want to be one. Going in to a burning building and saving a life takes clear mine and strong will and strong body. I support them all i can.


According to several of the Twitter responses to the original picture the police don’t do much towing of vehicles. Just seems like an easy revenue stream but that’s out of my lane. I don’t do much posting here but do mostly reading. Sadly I don’t have much to add because I’m in the learning stages. I am however pretty qualified on this topic. I worked for the largest fire department in the state of Tennessee. The car driver is a complete idiot who played a stupid game and won the prize. I have no sympathy. The hummer story is just hard for me to understand.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Tnff319 said:


> According to several of the Twitter responses to the original picture the police don’t do much towing of vehicles. Just seems like an easy revenue stream but that’s out of my lane. I don’t do much posting here but do mostly reading. Sadly I don’t have much to add because I’m in the learning stages. I am however pretty qualified on this topic. I worked for the largest fire department in the state of Tennessee. The car driver is a complete idiot who played a stupid game and won the prize. I have no sympathy. The hummer story is just hard for me to understand.


Ticketing and towing is big business in Calgary but tow trucks are busy and it can take hours before they tow. Calgary is also a city that has limited parking in certain inner city areas. 

I worked in one of those areas during a major contstruction project and I knew a few guys working on site, who explained that most tradesmen illegally parked on streets, avenues and alleys during the day, mostly 2 hour parking zones and bus stops but others parked on corners and blocked hydrants. At each break, they guys would swap parking spaces or simply go out and clean the chalk marks off their tires. Those that did get the occasional ticked or towed, felt it was cheaper than paying for monthly lot parking. Some would even parked in reserved parking stalls behind offices and condos, forcing those of us who worked in the area to wait hours for police to ticket and summon a tow truck.

Things came to a head the day that the condo accross the street had a fire and couldn't come close to the building at all because of 200 illegally parked tradesmen blocking streets, corners and alley access. Twelve tennants were homeless because of the thoughtless actions of others and for months after, the parking police were followed closely by a tow truck.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

wr said:


> Do we need to know why someone chose to break the law or can we simply assume that the laws regarding blocking fire hydrants are in place for public safety and should be obeyed? Should we offer the same amount of sympathy to anyone who breaks the law and discovers there are consequences or only those that interfere with the fire department?


 Why can’t it be both ways ?
I assume the laws about blocking hydrants should be obeyed. 
Just because they broke a law doesn’t give the fire department a right to destroy their stuff. 
Just like when you speed the cops first response shouldn’t be a Pitt maneuver.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Funny thing about this entire conversation. 
No one seems upset about the city creating the situation.
3 simple things would help eliminate the situation. 
First design hydrant installations where they would not be blocked. 
Between parking spaces and at corners comes to mind. 
Second put a hydrant bounty out for tow trucks. 
Third have firemen looking for for blocked hydrants when they are out and about and give them a quick response number to the cops or tow trucks.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

WR
I feel for the 200 people homeless in your example 
But if parking was so bad in that area who’s fault was that ?
Honest question ,who or what created such a bad situation ?


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## gilberte (Sep 25, 2004)

Good thing I'm not in charge of these things. Vehicles illegally parked in front of a hydrant or in a handicap zone would be crushed up to the size of a lunchbox and left on the lawn of the owner.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

What if it’s a handicaped person parked in front of the hydrant ?


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## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

AmericanStand said:


> Why can’t it be both ways ?
> I assume the laws about blocking hydrants should be obeyed.
> Just because they broke a law doesn’t give the fire department a right to destroy their stuff.
> Just like when you speed the cops first response shouldn’t be a Pitt maneuver.


Maybe they should of just let it burn and charge the parking violator for all the damage and possibly murder if someone was inside.

Couple of broken windows and a fine/tow bill is pretty cheap now, isn't it.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

all the handicap sticker allows is for the persons to park in a handicap spot.. all the rest of the laws are the same for them as for anybody else..


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

AmericanStand said:


> Funny thing about this entire conversation.
> No one seems upset about the city creating the situation.


That's because the one who parked the car created the situation.
No one aside from you is blaming anyone else.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

AmericanStand said:


> Why can’t it be both ways ?
> I assume the laws about blocking hydrants should be obeyed.
> Just because they broke a law doesn’t give the fire department a right to destroy their stuff.
> Just like when you speed the cops first response shouldn’t be a Pitt maneuver.


What about the person who made a fire call? Should they have some right to a reasonable response time or should they watch their posessions burn while the fire department spends time dragging a vehicle out from a parking space or waiting for a tow truck? What about the 12 families I mentioned who lost everything because of illegal parking? Insurance does cover most of their costs but they were endangered because of arrogance and just like you and I, some of their posessions can't ever be replaced.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

coolrunnin said:


> Maybe they should of just let it burn and charge the parking violator for all the damage and possibly murder if someone was inside.
> 
> Couple of broken windows and a fine/tow bill is pretty cheap now, isn't it.


That makes as much sense as the making the owner of the place on fire pay for the damage to the car.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

wr said:


> What about the person who made a fire call? Should they have some right to a reasonable response time or should they watch their posessions burn while the fire department spends time dragging a vehicle out from a parking space or waiting for a tow truck? What about the 12 families I mentioned who lost everything because of illegal parking? Insurance does cover most of their costs but they were endangered because of arrogance and just like you and I, some of their posessions can't ever be replaced.


Do you think everyone who has a fire is arrogant? Why do you ask if they should lose a fire over arrogance?
Nope I don't think they have any right at all to a fire response.
Its a privilege.
No I don't think they should lose anything over illegal parking, but I also don't think they should lose anything just cause the firemen want to be jerks.

And No I don't think the fire department should tow cars out of the way.
I have been very clear on my stand in all of this. Why do you ask me something that I have been so clear on?


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)




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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

AmericanStand said:


> I have been very clear on my stand in all of this.


So was the one who parked the car illegally.


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

AmericanStand said:


> Do you think everyone who has a fire is arrogant? Why do you ask if they should lose a fire over arrogance?
> Nope I don't think they have any right at all to a fire response.
> Its a privilege.


Interestingly enough, the SCOTUS agrees with you, or at least they said so in a precedent case on the right to police protection. They said it is NOT a right.
That said, it does NOT mean that they can't or shouldn't do everything in their power to *try* to provide that protection, only that if they fail to, they aren't at fault.
Which brings us to the legal standing of which "jerk" is going to be liable under the law........



> No I don't think they should lose anything over illegal parking, but I also don't think they should lose anything just cause the firemen want to be jerks.


Since the fire dept. is charged with providing protection where humanly possible and the only thin g in their way is another "jerk's" car.............we find in favor of the jerks with the firetruck.
Case closed.


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Wow


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

It just doesn't matter where you put the hydrants, people will still park in front of them. Some laws you can break and not get caught. Sometimes you break the law and get a warning. Sometimes you break a law and pay a fine. Sometimes you park in front of a fire hydrant and your car gets damaged. You take your chances and pay the price when you get caught. No, I don't feel one bit sorry for the owner of the car that was parked in front of the hydrant. I'm sure the people who had the fire don't feel sorry for the owner of the damaged car. I don't want my car to be busted up by the fire department so I never park in front of hydrants.

If you don't like the policy of busting up the cars in front of hydrants then figure out a way to block the hydrant or work around the car without damaging it. Send your ideas to your local fire department. Maybe even ask for their help in coming up with a better way. Spend some time learning how to hook a hose to a hydrant.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Sorry but the courts have held there is no right to destroy private property without cause. 
Admitadly they are pretty leinient on what constitutes cause. 
Case closed 
Those of you in favor of giving the government a unrestricted right to destroy private Property I’m sure karma will bite you in the butt.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I am in favor of the fire department doing whatever it needs to do in order to access a fire hydrant. When people's lives are at stake you do what needs to be done in the most efficient matter possible. If there had been no fire and no need for immediate access then the destruction would not have been needed. Even using your method there still would have been a broken window and scattered glass.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

AmericanStand said:


> Those of you in favor of giving the government a unrestricted right to destroy private Property I’m sure karma will bite you in the butt.


No one aside from you has said that at all.



AmericanStand said:


> Sorry but the courts have held there is no right to destroy private property *without cause*.


They had "cause".

It was *'cause* someone illegally parked where they shouldn't have.
How many more times will you repeat yourself before you realize nothing is going to change the facts?


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

AmericanStand said:


> Sorry but the courts have held there is no right to destroy private property without cause.
> Admitadly they are pretty leinient on what constitutes cause.
> Case closed
> Those of you in favor of giving the government a unrestricted right to destroy private Property I’m sure karma will bite you in the butt.


Can you provide examples of fire departments being charged for such damage.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Danaus29 said:


> figure out a way to block the hydrant


They could put up a thin metal barricade on a spring loaded pivot so a snow plow could push it out of the way but it would reposition itself once it passed. 

It wouldn't block the hose but would stop anyone from parking there.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

farmrbrown said:


> Since the fire dept. is charged with providing protection where humanly possible and the only thin g in their way is another "jerk's" car.............we find in favor of the jerks with the firetruck.
> Case closed.


Too bad that's not always the case. Most people don't realize that it's illegal for a fire truck, police car or ambulance to run a red light. When they come to an intersection they only *ask for permission* to access the lane. If they run a red light and hit someone, they are liable. If someone dies they can go to prison for manslaughter. 

I know some here say "that's the way they learned it in the fire academy". But the reality is I used to *teach* it to the fire fighters as I am certified fire instructor. To be honest though, not current on my CE hours. 

But as you say there is a Good Samaritan law that will back them up if they have done their due diligence and felt they needed to break out a window or two to put out a fire or save a life. But they better have sufficient documentation.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

wr said:


> Can you provide examples of fire departments being charged for such damage.


I think I saw a commercial on TV the other night that said:

"If you have had windows broke out of your car by the fire dept.......If you had no other choice in parking that day......or even if you just were in a hurry......call the law offices of Dewey, Cheatem and Howe to see if you are entitled to compensation. Don't let the fire dept ruin your day."


Must be an epidemic or something.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

mreynolds said:


> Dewey, Cheatem and Howe


LOL! There was a law firm in SE Missouri "Craig Hurtt Bradley".


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

nehimama said:


> LOL! There was a law firm in SE Missouri "Craig Hurtt Bradley".


Yeah, I think those lawyers do that on purpose sometimes. Of course mine was fictional. I hope anyway.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

They might be fictional but they are still the most famous law firm.


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