Policy Text
Procedure Number:
E8
Issued:
2/20
CODE 3 EMERGENCY VEHICLE OPERATIONS
AUTHORITY
California Code Sections:
California Penal Code Sections 830.5, 13519.8
California
Vehicle
Code
Sections
14602.1,
17004,
17004.7,
21055,
21056,
21057,
21806,
21807
Government Code Section 8558
Related Probation Officer Policies:
IV21
Emergency Aid Requests Protocol
IV23
Officer Involved Critical Incident Protocol
IV27
Peace Officer Authority
IV32
Department (County) Vehicles
IV33
Safety, Uncooperative Clientele, and Threats
Related Probation Officer Procedures:
E7
Use of the Portable and Hand Held Radio
E9
Transportation of Offenders
F2
Use of Force
INTRODUCTION
Probation
officers
must
take
all
necessary
care
to
drive
as
safely
as
possible
at
all
times.
Officers
who
take
the
Emergency
Vehicle
Operations
Course
(EVOC)
promote
safe
driving
practices
and
establish
good
defensive
driving
tactics.
EVOC
teaches
safe
driving
while
operating
under
less
than
ideal
situations.
EVOC
also
discusses
the
legal
liabilities
when
operating
a
vehicle,
particularly in an emergency response circumstance.
Many
of
the
vehicles
assigned
to
the
field
divisions
are
equipped
with
emergency
lights
and
sirens.
The
purpose
of
this
procedure
is
to
discuss
the
situations
when
probation
officers
can
use
emergency
lights
and
sirens
on
these
vehicles.
Emergency
lights
and
sirens
shall
not
be
used
by
a
probation
officer
until
the
completion
of
EVOC.
However,
all
probation
department
staff
are
authorized
to
operate
these
vehicles
in
the
course
of
duty;
they
simply
cannot
engage
the
emergency lights and sirens without appropriate training.
LIABILITY
The
use
of
emergency
lights
and
sirens
(and
the
accompanying
exceptions
to
the
ordinary
driving
laws),
during
the
response
to
emergency
situations,
exposes
the
public,
probation
officers,
and
fleeing
violators
to
the
risk
of
damage
to
property,
serious
injury,
or
death.
The
use
of
emergency
lights
and
sirens
during
emergency
response
is
authorized
under
Vehicle
Code
Sections
21055
and
21806.
However,
pursuant
to
Vehicle
Code
Sections
21056
and
21807,
an
officer
is
not
relieved
of
the
duty
to
drive
with
due
regard
for
the
safety
of
persons
and
property
while
using
emergency
equipment.
An
emergency
response
that
ends
in
injury
to
another
person,
or
damage
to
a
vehicle
or
property,
could
subject
the
probation
officer
to
civil
and
1
Procedure Number:
E8
criminal
liability
and
could
result
in
disciplinary
action
up
to
and
including
termination
of
employment.
TRAINING
Probation
Officers
will
complete
a
POST
or
STC
certified
EVOC.
Probation
officers
will
participate
in
annual
training
to
address
this
procedure,
the
importance
of
protection
of
the
public,
the
need
to
balance
the
risks
of
the
offender
and
the
need
for
immediate
capture
against
the
risks
to
officers
and
the
public
in
apprehension,
and
the
factors
necessary
to
begin
and
terminate an emergency response.
PROTOCOL FOR USING EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND SIRENS
Pursuant
to
Vehicle
Code
Section
21055,
an
officer
must
use
lights
and
sirens
under
the
following circumstances:
●
If the vehicle is being driven in response to an emergency call.
●
If the officer is engaged in rescue operations.
●
If the officer is in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law.
●
If the officer is responding to, but not returning from, a fire alarm.
In
the
above
circumstances,
pursuant
to
Vehicle
Code
Section
21806,
the
officer
must
use
emergency
sounds
(vehicle
sirens)
and
lights
(at
minimum,
a
red
light),
visible
from
the
front,
as
a
warning
to
other
drivers
and
pedestrians.
Under
no
other
circumstances
is
an
officer
authorized
to
use
the
vehicle
siren
only.
Although
allowable
per