WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

Whilst at the Aust Day show at Ashfield last Saturday, i had a good look at the Royal Life Saving Soc First Aid Post. The vehicle is a repainted Ford Longreach Ute with the ambulance capsule on the back, not sure if it was ex SJA or eastern states service. The thing that made me curious is that it is fitted with red and blue beacons and siren (2 horns on the roof). It is sign written as an RLSSA First Aid Post (not Ambulance) and i would have thought it didn't qualify for any Urgent Duty Driving. Would this be illegal? Are RLSSA taking liberties? Or do they have permission? (but why?)

Are good question !!!!

Defiantley an overkill by the description off it seems to be ex sja vehicle.

The techincal division at welshpool state that it must be an "Ambulance" as such to have red/blues/white lights.

A first aid post wouldnt even allow you to get red beacons only amber even then its questionable.

Who can get a pic and post it

They do mention they do event services but nothing on the website

Waneroo St Johns had 4 First Aid Posts all with lights and sirens.

Had being the operative word

I guess itstill didnt stop someone from driving one off them with amber lights flashing and having an accident though lol while not on duty

Was at the George st festival last year.

all i can say is the 2 places i called today charge a fortune and you dont get much for it thats for sure.

$1100 for 2 first aiders + vehicle. for an event with up to 5000 people

STIL CHEAPER THAT ST JOHNS FIRST AID VOLIIES

rescue10: damm right

I was horrified at the bill for the royal show for sja coverage when i got told haha.

Medichands are a lil bit more than sja and rls no vehicle just plenty off hands and bumbags.

or they turn it on to get to a person in a park coz pppl wont get out the way.

auntys_eyes wrote:Whilst at the Aust Day show at Ashfield last Saturday, i had a good look at the Royal Life Saving Soc First Aid Post. The vehicle is a repainted Ford Longreach Ute with the ambulance capsule on the back, not sure if it was ex SJA or eastern states service. The thing that made me curious is that it is fitted with red and blue beacons and siren (2 horns on the roof). It is sign written as an RLSSA First Aid Post (not Ambulance) and i would have thought it didn't qualify for any Urgent Duty Driving. Would this be illegal? Are RLSSA taking liberties? Or do they have permission? (but why?)

Was working at Challenge Stadium this week and spotted the above mentioned vehicle at the RLSSA HQ, and managed to get a few pics.

Still NO justification on why they need to have Red and Blues... Im sure it's a breach on the rules of the Road Act.

This vehicle is not a certified emergency vehicle that can go P1 through Red Lights etc.... - So why don't they get penalised or asked to remove them?

gkoutlis: Spot on the ball with your comment.

First aid vehicles are not "ambulances" and yes by going out on the road they would be in breach off the act BUT would be up to the DPI to send them a letter going sorry but take the beacons off your not an ambulance OR someone in traffic giving them a sticker.

Worse case scenario is turning it back into an ambulance and being registered as such. I dont think that 2 senior first aiders should be driving such a vehicle anyways.

Markmywords wrote:gkoutlis: Spot on the ball with your comment.

First aid vehicles are not "ambulances" and yes by going out on the road they would be in breach off the act BUT would be up to the DPI to send them a letter going sorry but take the beacons off your not an ambulance OR someone in traffic giving them a sticker.

Worse case scenario is turning it back into an ambulance and being registered as such. I dont think that 2 senior first aiders should be driving such a vehicle anyways.

Thanks MMW for your comments too - I mean I am a vollie First Aider with VFAS (St.John) - and non of our vehicles are allowed Red and Blues - not even for events such as Skyshow or Redbull (on Private Property grounds)... We're stuck with yellow lights - while some of our counter-parts in the eastern states have Red Lights - as they are classified as so called Emergency Response vehicles in a large disaster etc...

Im sure this is a huge can of worms... but yeah it's worth bringing up...

gkoutlis wrote: We're stuck with yellow lights - while some of our counter-parts in the eastern states have Red Lights - as they are classified as so called Emergency Response vehicles in a large disaster etc...

Its interesting that in some US states, volunteer firefighters etc are allowed to put red and blues on their own personal vehicles! I think that's going too far, but I think there are some classes of vehicle that should be able to use red beacons - not to get through traffic but to attract attention to their location while they're stationary. This is something orange beacons are supposed to be for, but are now associated by almost everyone to be RAC road assistance vehicles or tow trucks.