In Case Of Emergency: New Laws For Emergency Response Set To Take Effect

It’s a common sound to most Long Islanders; one we hardly hear any more, and worse yet, one we barely head if and when we do hear it. It’s the sound of sirens, be it from the local fire department, or police the police car we can hear from our living room window or along side us on the road.

But, that’s all seemingly going to soon change. According to a new Nassau policy, light and sirens on county vehicles can only be used by law enforcement personnel and only in true crisis and emergencies.

The measure was spurred by County Executive Thomas Suozzi based on an accident he has last month, and call for all lights and sirens to be disconnected or removed from county vehicles driven by non-law enforcement officials.

However, Mr. Suozzi will be exempt from this measure since he has been granted an emergency-equipped county car for security purposes. The new rules will however apply to the County Comptroller and the Consumer Affairs Commissioner, both whom currently drive emergency equipped county vehicles, but will not apply to the (county) District Attorney.

Officials note that as the top law enforcement official in the county, the DA “must” be furnished with a car that has emergency features, even if they never need to be used.

Emergency situations have been defined as transportation of a sick or injured party, transportation of criminals, delivery of blood, responding to the scene of an accident, disaster, police call or fire alarm, or chasing after an actual perpetrator of the law.