Whereas the Province of British Columbia prioritizes safety measures for the effective delivery of emergency services, and the Motor Vehicle Act of British Columbia mandates that motorists must operate in a safe manner near emergency fire department vehicles and life safety equipment, inattentive motorists near emergency scenes can be distracted to the extent that their actions threaten the safety of the public and fire department personnel; And whereas an unprotected hose of a fire department when laid down on a highway or private driveway at a fire or an alarm of fire is used to actively suppress fires and a puncture would cut off a critical lifeline to firefighters and anyone inside a building; And whereas if a fire hose is filled with water and becomes severed, it can pose a serious risk of injury or death to a member of the public or fire department personnel: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province of British Columbia amend the Motor Vehicle Act to better support fire department incidents by increasing the violation amount to reflect the serious life safety hazard of driving over a fire hose, with fines similar to other offences where motorists obstruct or interfere with life safety equipment.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure The Ministry is committed to supporting safe and effective delivery of emergency response services. This includes the regulatory measures laid out in the Motor Vehicle Act discouraging unsafe driver behaviors that can threaten the safety of the public and fire department personnel. Several provisions in the Motor Vehicle Act address driver behavior in proximity to fire department vehicles and provide the enforcement agencies with the tools to deal with non-compliance. Drivers who drive over an unprotected hose of a fire department when laid down on a highway or private driveway at a fire or an alarm of fire may be subject to a violation ticket with a 109 fine and 2 driver penalty points. In addition, unauthorized driving, or parking closer than 150 m or within 150 m of the place on the same highway on which fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm is an offence that may be subject to a violation ticket with a 109 fine and 2 penalty points. Government monitors the impacts current penalties and enforcement have on driver behavior, as well other measures beyond fines that may be effective in deterring unsafe driving. We also work with local governments, emergency services providers and enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to identify and address barriers to effective emergency service delivery, including consideration of safety concerns resulting from unsafe driver behavior in proximity to fire department vehicles or non-compliance with existing provincial legislation.