Your tax dollars at work

[Toecutter]

This is one of our driving skill tests. When the engine enters (at 35 mph) the first set of cones, the driver is told on the radio to swerve left or right. Then they go back into the "middle lane", before swerving back in the original direction and stopping short of the last cone.

I nailed my pass at it, but this guy made it look a lot more exciting....as I deviously filmed.

 

[FJR_pig]

This is one of our driving skill tests. When the engine enters (at 35 mph) the first set of cones, the driver is told on the radio to swerve left or right. Then they go back into the "middle lane", before swerving back in the original direction and stopping short of the last cone.
I nailed my pass at it, but this guy made it look a lot more exciting....as I deviously filmed.

Wow, I'm surprised that a location with traffic on the other side of the median is used for the training. This is hard enough to do in a patrol car. I can't imagine doing it with a fire truck.

We have similar exercises at annual driving training, but we recently got a professional style track up here. Big improvement, we used to use the abandoned side of an airport.

 

[Toecutter]

Wow, I'm surprised that a location with traffic on the other side of the median is used for the training. This is hard enough to do in a patrol car. I can't imagine doing it with a fire truck.
We have similar exercises at annual driving training, but we recently got a professional style track up here. Big improvement, we used to use the abandoned side of an airport.

That's the dead end of a freeway currently under construction. The day before, a guy jumped the right-hand curb and went into the landscaping, killing a sprinkler in the process. I can just imagine the drivers of those cars, gettin' all distracted and stuff...lucky there were no mishaps.

"Luck" is one of our best friends in the fire service. We push it, we push it real good....

We're hoping to get shared access to a proposed police training track, complete with skid pad, etc...

 

[wfooshee]

Aw, dude! Hook and ladder on a skidpad!!! Tape it! Tape it!

OK, regular engine is good enough.

That run you showed took out a few cones, looks like. I know that sound, being an old autocrosser: 2 seconds time penalty for each one!

 

[k7lvo]

I've got a friend who's a retire LA County fireman. I was riding with him in his private van with trailer on behind one time, and noted the confidence that he used as he drove through LA traffic. He wasn't reckless or careless by any means; it was obvious that he knew just what he was doing. I wasn't concerned. I was impressed. After a few miles I asked him "Did you used to drive the truck?" He turned to me with an ear-to-ear grin: "Yeah!"

 

[odot]

What's kali's state budget look like?

 

[madmike2]

What's kali's state budget look like?

That'd be the Fresno County budget, though the State of CA probably allots some money to each County for training.

None-the-less, its nice to know the drivers of emergency vehicles have those skills when unforeseen traffic circumstances occur. Avoidance, what a concept! When the average driver only knows how to "hit the brake".

And, Bob, that operator DID make it look exciting!