TRAFFIC SAFETY DRILL ANSWERS FIRE BELL.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN

Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- On one occasion, a pedestrian standing in a crosswalk waves his hands in disgust before reluctantly retreating back to the curb as a fire engine makes a right turn with sirens blaring.

In another instance, a vehicle refuses to yield the right-of-way, darting through a crossing on the engine driver's left as he passes a broken-down vehicle just before entering the intersection.

Such hazards -- which firefighters say are regular occurrences -- were established Friday on an obstacle course set up on a Fox Airfield tarmac by U.S. Forest Service firefighters.

The one-day training exercise was designed to simulate the experience of driving emergency-response vehicles through urban settings.

The emphasis of the drill is safety, USFS spokesman Michael Tucker said, noting that firefighters are evaluated on their ability to analyze intersections, proper use of sirens, and fundamental driving safety -- not speed.

According to Tucker, firefighters are trained to keep their composure and obey all traffic laws, even if other drivers don't.

"Even though the lights and sirens are going, I just try to stay calm," said Firefighter Paul Spencer, a San Diego resident who was among 30 firefighters from throughout the state participating in the training exercise.

"When you're going to an incident, you don't want to create an incident," Spencer said.

Friday's training exercise featured two emergency-response driving courses -- an easier 2- to 3-minute course, and a more demanding 4- to 5-minute course that included bicyclists and a construction zone, among other hazards.

"We want to make sure we have experienced drivers who know how to drive these engines properly," Tucker said.

In some ways, emergency response drivers are fighting technology, Spencer said, noting that many late-model luxury cars effectively cancel outside noise, making intersection crossings that much more perilous.

"In a lot of these newer cars, they might have a DVD playing or their radio cranked up and they can't hear anything," Spencer said.

Spencer said he believes the simulated training is essential for preparing emergency-response vehicle drivers for real-life hazards.

"It's kind of small and it's simulated, but what you get is a heads-up, and you've got to be heads-up when you're going through an intersection," Spencer said.

"I think everybody driving (emergency-response vehicles) should do this."

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2 photos

Photo: (1) U.S. Forest Service Firefighter Paul Spencer drives the obstacle course at Fox Airfield in Lancaster on Friday.

(2) U.S. Forest Service members act as pedestrians in a crosswalk in the way of a student driver in a firetruck on the obstacle course at Fox Airfield in Lancaster.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer