Accident case resolved
Dispatches
A firefighter who had been involved in a traffic accident while driving to the fire station in his private car to respond to a fire emergency has been granted immunity, according to a ruling published by the Court of Appeals of Ohio. The firefighter was being sued by the driver of the other car.
Ohio Revised Code, Section 701.02, protects members of a fire department “while proceeding toward a place where a fire is in progress or is believed to be in progress, or in answering any other emergency alarm.”
In its ruling, the Court of Appeals of Ohio stated that this immunity extends to fire department members who are answering an alarm in a vehicle other than actual fire apparatus.
The Court also ruled that the statute protects volunteers on their way to the fire station. The Ohio Supreme Court had ruled previously in the case that volunteers were “firemen” within the meaning of the statute.
If you must use your own car to respond to an emergency, remember to check the law in your jurisdiction.
