Ottawa ambulance lights change colour
The capital's newest ambulance has a small change that paramedics hope will make a big difference.
The flashing lights on ambulances in Ontario have been red and white for decades, but Ottawa's newest emergency vehicle has red and blue flashing lights. Emergency officials hope the change will increase the ambulances' visibility.
“When we're going to these scenes, it's really important to try to give us the right-of-way, if safe to do so,” said Marc-Antoine Deschamps, Ottawa Paramedic Service.
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The change is not just about helping ambulances respond to emergency calls more quickly, but also to avoid paramedics getting struck by vehicles while at an emergency scene.
“We've had a few close calls,” Deschamps told 1310 NEWS. “So far, we've been extremely lucky that no serious injuries were suffered by paramedics.”
The change was enabled by amendments to provincial regulations, which took effect last summer. The change is only on new ambulances, as the city buys them, so you'll continue to see red and white flashing lights on older ambulances.
