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ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE GENERAL ORDER Effective Date: August 13, 2018  Amends GO 9.1.5 ( April 28, 2017 ) Number: 9.1.5 Distribution: All Personnel Review Month: March Reviewing Authority: UPD / Division Commander Subject: Vehicle Operatio n This order consists of the following: 1. Purpose 2. Policy 3. Procedures 1. Purpose To provide guidelines for the safe non -emergency and emergency operations of agency vehicles. 2. Policy Agency personnel shall operate agency vehicles in a safe and courteous manner consistent w ith all applicable statutes , ordinance s and agency policies. FS 316.072 provides guidelines for drivers of authorized emergency vehicles during non - emergency and emergency vehicle operations. Operator s of an authorized emergency vehicle have the right to disrega rd certain traffic requirements; however, the law NEVER relieves a deputy sheriff of the duty to operate his/her vehicle with due care and regard for the safety of the public, as well as the violator. NOTE: Some of the Procedures below are more restrictive than applicable law. 3. Procedures Agency personnel responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law are not relieved from the responsibility of driving with due regard to the safety of all persons, nor will the provisions of FS 316.072 protect personnel from the consequences of reckless disregard for the safety of others. A. The agency utilizes vehicle response codes to determine the priority in which deputies respond to dispatched calls for service. The vehicle response codes are Code 1, Code 2, and Code 3. The descriptio n of the response codes follows: 1. Code 1 Response is for a police service call. The call is handled at the conv enience and discretion of the deputy and/or supervisor. This code is considered a non-emergency and is handled after all Code 2 and Code 3 calls. 2. Code 2 Response is considered a routine call for service that will generally require some official action on the part of the responding deputy(s). There is no 9.1.5, Page 2 of 4 indication the call represents a real danger to life or limb. Code 3 calls take precedence over Code 2 calls. 3. Code 3 Personnel are called upon to respond to calls for service of an immediate nature (li fe threatening/in -progress/felony calls). While a rapid response to a citizen’s needs is of the utmost importance, the safety of the public and personnel must be the guiding factor when responding to such calls. B. In accordance with applicable law, agenc y personnel engaged in emergency operations, responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law may: 1. Exceed the maximum speed limit so long as life or property is not endangered. Speed will be limited by r oad and weather conditions and the exercise of good judgment. 2. Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified direction, as long as life or property is not endangered. 3. Disregard regulations governing parking laws under norma l circumstances, except that an agency vehicle will not block access to a fire hydrant at a fire scene, or in any way obstruct the passage of fire apparatus or emergency medical apparatus. C. Agency personnel responding to an emergency call or when in pursui t of an actual or suspected violator of the law shall: 1. Warn all other vehicular traffic along the emergency route by an audible signal, siren, or other adequate device or by a visible signal by the use of displayed blue or red lights. 2. Proceed in a manner consistent with the laws regulating vehicular traffic upon the highways of this state. 3. Proceed at a reasonable speed while assessing existing road and traffic conditions. 4. Operate emergency lights and/or siren throughout the emergency call response, if exceeding the posted speed limits. 5. Operate both emergency lights and sirens continuously while directly engaged in a pursuit in accordance with GO 8.1.7 . 6. Utilize extreme caution when changing directions of travel from lane to lane, when turning, and when entering intersections. 7. Come to a full stop prior to proceeding through an inte rsection for a red stoplight, signal or sign. 8. Not enter controlled intersections against the direc ted flow of traffic at an 9.1.5, Page 3 of 4 unsafe speed . 9. While navigating an intersection, c onfirm that cross -traffic flow has yielded in each lane before attempting to cro ss that lane. 10. Other considerations a. Using emergency equipment only requests the right -of-way; it doe s not guarantee the right -of-way. b. Each agency vehicle used for patrol or traffic enforcement must at least be equipped with emergency lights and siren in operational order. c. Hazardous warning lights, spotlights and public address systems may be utilized as additional safety measures during emergency operations. D. Agency members are authorized to operate agency vehicles without headlights as necessary to perform law enforcement functions as authorized in FS 316.217 . Agency members in these circumstances shall drive with due regard for the safety of others. FS 316.217 does not “relieve the operator of such a vehicle from the consequences of his or her reckless disregard for the safety of others.”