Volunteer firefighters are equipped with green lights on vehicles and members of the public are not legally required to pull-over, though it is appreciated.
“It’s a courtesy light to identify a volunteer firefighter responding to their fire hall or to an emergency in a personal vehicle. There’s no legal obligation for members of the public and it doesn’t provide exceptions from the law for the firefighter using it,” said Dave Thompson, Fire Chief for the town of Parry Sound
Drivers equipped with a green light are required to stop at stop lights and stop signs, can’t speed or swerve through traffic. If a member of the public spots a vehicle with a flashing green light, pulling over is a courtesy rather than law.
“Because we’re a volunteer fire station, firefighters are not sitting at the station. We receive emergency calls through a pager and that will have been a volunteer fighter. They’re used significantly in outlying municipalities, not as much in Parry Sound” Thompson said
Thompson says volunteer firefighters using green lights on personal vehicles have been allowed in Ontario jurisdictions for over 20 years.