DRIVERS are being reminded to stay calm, slow down and merge left when they see fire vehicles approaching with lights and sirens on.
Firefighters have reported an increasing trend of drivers remaining in the way, speeding up or panicking when faced with an emergency vehicle.
FESA chief superintendent metropolitan Gary Kennedy said drivers could help save lives and property by simply giving way.
“Every second counts when firefighters are called out to an incident, which is why it is vital for people to obey the rules when an emergency vehicle approaches,” Mr Kennedy said.
“A house can be destroyed in a matter of minutes and firefighters need to get to the scene as quickly and safely as possible.
“Remember to stay calm, check where the emergency vehicle is coming from and give way by merging left if safe to do so.
“Most importantly, if you can’t move left, slow down or stop and let the emergency vehicle drive around you.”
Mr Kennedy urged road users to act quickly for the safety of others.
“Think about how you would feel if it was your house on fire,” he said.
“Chances are you would want to know that firefighters were able to get to your property as quickly as possible to put the fire out.”
Drivers cannot break the law to give way to emergency vehicles.
An emergency vehicle is a vehicle with flashing blue or red lights.
The most common emergency vehicles are fire, ambulance and police vehicles.
For more fire safety information visit fesa.wa.gov.au