Funeral processions...

[Christopher.Collins]

I have also been in "departmental funerals", and civilians have fallen into the cortege line, amongst the Emergency vehicles, to get through traffic quicker.

They dont close down roads for department funerals in your area? I havnt been to one where traffic from other roads was open. They were all run just like parades. Even ones on Route 1 in the middle of the summer... and hell that was a few miles covered in that service.

Ive seen the stickers just recently, its a very smart idea... unfortunatley it dosnt mean people will respect it any more. I think the flashers and headlight thing is a bit outdated... with most cars today having auto headlights that run during daylight also... and well, someone like me just might be hauling a couch in a small car too!

As far as the subject at hand... Im sorry to be disrespectfull but if I can get in Im getting in. Of course I would exercise due regard to safety and not force my way through. If I need to get through an intersection Ill sit there with the lights running and whelp the siren every few cars that dont let me through. I wouldnt keep running the siren the whole time, to be a bit respectfull.

Of course however the catch is (at least in Connecticut) your not a street legal emergency vehicle unless both your lights and sirens are operating simultaneously. If I get hit by another vehicle, it could theoretically be my fault.

[Richard B the EMT]

Close down the streets? In New York City?

Do you realize the issues already arising when traffic flow is interrupted now? Even Bicycle lanes now taking away car lanes is a big thing, on both sides of the issue.

Also, nobody could pass the cemeteries, so what happens when, as is usual, there's several funeral corteges going to the same cemetery, simultaneously?

[Christopher.Collins]

True, forgot you were FDNY. Im sure traffic must be a mess there during such events.

[Richard B the EMT]

Im sure traffic must be a mess there during such events.

Who needs an event? Traffic is messed up, before an event can slow it down even further.

Also my apologies, I didn't see the word "Departmental", and thought the reference was funerals in general. A departmental funeral usually gets LEOs on traffic control detail.