First Responders Hindered by Bad Drivers | News

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- When there's an emergency, you count on help getting there as soon as possible. But inattentive drivers who ignore the law are creating a huge hazard for first responders.

North Las Vegas firefighters say even with full flashing lights and sirens, people are not doing what they're supposed to. With an average of 20 calls a day, Station 51 is the one of the busiest in the valley, and firefighters say sometimes the most hazardous part of the calls is getting to the scene.

People aren't paying attention, they aren't pulling over to the right side, and in some cases, they aren't slowing down.

"It gets hard sometimes to get rid of so many different things. We have a huge pedestrian population here -- people are walking all over the place, jaywalking, cars going every which way," said Firefighter Bill Gardner.

On Sunday night, a Medicwest ambulance was driving down Lake Mead Boulevard while responding to a call when it hit and killed a man jaywalking across six lanes of traffic.

Emergency responders say if you see them coming, pull to the right and stop. If you're at a red light, wait until it turns green and then pull over to the right. And never follow them or try to outrun them.