NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT - New Albany, Ohio

C. Emergency Vehicle Operations
When operating under emergency conditions, the operator of a public safety vehicle
must comply with provisions of the following sections of the O.R.C.:
§4511.03 Public safety vehicles to proceed cautiously past red or stop signals
§4511.041 Exemption for public safety and emergency vehicles
§4511.24 Public safety vehicle excepted from speed limits
§4511.45 Right-of-way of public safety vehicles
§4511.452 Pedestrians yield right of way to public safety vehicle
§4513.21 Horns, sirens, and warning devices
Under these sections, the O.R.C. places two requirements on the operator of a public
safety vehicle:
1. The operator must drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the
streets or highways.
2. A public safety vehicle only gains the right-of-way when using both an
emergency light and siren.
D. Three Primary Considerations
1. A primary goal of the Police Department is the protection of life and
property while enforcing the traffic and criminal laws of the state.
2. Officers will pursue violators within the limits of safety as prescribed in the
O.R.C. §4511 while attempting to use other methods to identify or arrest the
individuals.
3. Officers will take into consideration the following factors in initiating and/or in
continuing a vehicle pursuit:
Nature of the violation and the risk to the public if the suspect is not
immediately apprehended.
Road and weather conditions
Area where the pursuit is taking place (e.g. schools, business,
residential)
What, if any, assistance is available
Volume of traffic and time of day
The likelihood of apprehension
The possibility of apprehension at a later time
E. Methods for Stopping the Violator
Pursuit at high speeds is extremely dangerous. Any tactic contemplated at high speed
must take into consideration all of the factors surrounding the incident. Safety is always
the foremost factor to be considered.
Methods for stopping a fleeing violator should always be progressively employed from the
least dangerous to the most dangerous.
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