I.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for the safe operation ofpolice vehicles in response to
an emergency call or during a pursuit by members of the Wamer Robins Police Department.

II. POLICY

It is the policy of the Wamer Robins Police Departrnent (WRPD) to abide by all laws, court decisions and
departrnent procedures to accomplish emergency vehicle operations in the most efficient manner with
officer safety and the safety ofthe public first in mind. The departrnent recognizes its responsibility to
apprehend criminals and lawbreakers, but it also recognizes the higher responsibility to protect and foster
the safety of all persons in the operation ofpolice vehicles when responding to an emergency call or in
pursuit ofa fleeing vehicle. Offrcers will not initiate and/or be involved in any vehicle pursuit which does
not involve a forcible felony.

Itr. PROCEDURE

A. Defrnitions

l. Emergency vehicle operation - Driving an emergency vehicle according to state law and this
order in response to an emergency call or in pursuit ofa fleeing vehicle.

2. Emergency response (Code 3) - The means whereby an officer proceeds with emergency
lights and siren at or above the posted speed limit to the scene ofan emergency situation where
loss of life, serious injury, or major property damage has occurred or could occur.

3. Primary unit - The authorized law enforcement vehicle that initiates a pursuit or any other
unit, which assumes control ofthe pursuit.

4. Pursuit driving - An active attempt by a police officer operating a motor vehicle to apprehend
one or more occupants of another moving vehicle, where the driver ofthe other vehicle is aware
of that attempt and is resisting apprehension by maintaining, or increasing the vehicle speed,
ignoring the offrcer, or attempting to elude the officer while driving at speeds in excess ofthe
legal speed limit.

5. Roadblock: A barricade or other physical obstruction across a roadway set up to stop or

prevent the escape ofa fleeing vehicle.

6. Secondary unit(s): Any authorized law enforcement vehicle that becomes involved as a
backup to the primary unit and follows the primary unit at a safe distance.

B. Training

Officers shall receive training on this policy prior to being permitted to operate a police vehicle in
their offrcial capacity. Refresher training will be conducted annually and any other time deemed
necessary.

C. Pursuit Procedure

l. When a motor vehicle pursuit is initiated, the officer initiating the pursuit shall be the
primary pursuit officer and shall immediately report to the dispatcher:

GO 8,1-(D Emergency Vehicle Operations 2

 a. Unit identifier, and the fact that he/she is in pursuit;

b. The location and direction oftravel;

c. Description of the vehicle and occupants;

d. Reason for the pursuit;

e. Changes in direction of travel and speed during the pursuit; and

f. Location at the time the pursuit is terminated

2. Upon notification or becoming aware of a pursuit initiated by a WRPD officer, the dispatcher
will:

a. Advise Code 1;

b. Record all bformation received from the pursuing offrcer;

c. Convey relevant information as needed to the field supervisor and other units;

d. Conduct an inquiry of the license plate number through NCIC and GCIC computer
systems;

e. Notifr adjacent jurisdictions ofthe pursuit and the potential for the pursuit entering
j
their urisdiction; and

f. Monitor the pursuit.

3. Upon notification or becoming aware of a pursuit, the field supervisor shall immediately
assert conffol over the oursuit. He/She shall:

a. Ensure that the primary pursuing officer has broadcast the information listed in Sec
III, par. C, subsection 1, a - fofthis general order.

b.Assisn a second pursuit vehicle for back-up and advise all other units to stand by and
monitor Drogress

c. Direct units as necessary using risk factors outlined in Sec III, par. C, subsection 4, a -
g of this general order.

d. Make the decision of whether or not an officer without EVOC (Emergency Vehicle
Operation Course) certificate will be permitted to pursue. It is all possible, the supervisor
will assign an officer with EVOC training to take primary responsibility of a pursuit from
an officer who is not EVOC trained.

4. When involved in a pursuit, tlre officer must constantly consider the risks. The offrcer shall
not needlessly endanger other persons or property. Some risk factors to be considered when
deciding to initiate. continue or terminate a pursuil are:

GO 8,1-'09 Emergency Yehicle Operations 3

 a. Time of day- Pursuits occurring during a time when there is a high level of business,
school, or other activity are deemed more hazardous than those occurring during the
period of low activity;

b. Volume of vehicular traffic- Pursuits occurring during periods of healy traffrc are
deemed more hazardous than those occurring at other times;

c. Location ofpursuit- Pursuits through residential areas or along streets near or

adjacent to schools are viewed as more hazardous than those in lightly populated areas;

d. Weather conditions;

e. Road Conditions;

f. Speeds Involved; and

g. Nature of Charges- Pursuits are onlv authorized for incidents involving forcible
felonies.

5. Offrcen operating unmarked vehicles may engage in pursuit only when the suspect vehicle
represents an immediate and direct threat to life or property. Whenever a marked vehicle
becomes available to take over the pursuit initiated by an officer in an unmarked vehicle, the
officer in the unmarked vehicle will withdraw from the pursuit.

6. Unless otherwise directed by a supervising officer, no more than two police vehicles will
become actively involved in a pursuit. Other oflicers shall be alert to the pursuit progress and
locations.

7. When a pursuit is initiated by another law enforcement agency, the initiating unit(s) and
jurisdiction shall be responsible for the progress ofthe pursuit. WRPD field personnel may
become involved in the pursuit only upon order ofa WRPD supervisory officer.

8. Officers may not pursue suspect(s) the wrong way on any divided highway.

9. When officers of this department are in pursuit of a vehicle which enters another jurisdiction,
the primary officer will advise the dispatcher to notiry that jurisdiction immediately.

a. When an officer from that jurisdiction is in position to assume responsibility for the
pursuit, involved units from this departrnent will relinquish the pursuit and retum to the
city.

b. Georgia State Patrol officers have jurisdiction state wide and officers Aom WRPD
will relinquish a pursuit outside the city of Wamer Robins to the Georgia State Patrol in
absence ofan offrcer from that jurisdiction.

c. The involved officers may continue to monitor the progress of the pursuit via the
radio. Ifthe pursuit is relinquished to a single officer unit the primary pursuing officer
may stay with the single officer unit until that officer receives back up units from the
jurisdiction and then retum to the city.

GO 84(D f,mergency Vehicle Operations 4

 d. In the event tle local jurisdiction will not assume responsibility for the pursuit, the
supervisor will be responsible and make the decision based on information supplied by
pursuing officer and all other circumstances whether or not to continue the pursuit.

10. When in pursuit ofa fleeing suspect, offrcers shall not attempt to overtake or pass the
suspect. This action places an officer in a highly vulnerable position. The pursuing officer(s)
shall keep a safe distance from the suspect and merely attempt to keep the suspect vehicle in
sight until the suspect voluntarily stops.

11. Offrcers may not stop or attempt to stop a suspect vehicle in a pursuit by striking the
suspect's vehicle with a police vehicle.

12. The use of stationary or rolling roadblocks is not permitted.

13. Officers shall use extreme care when disobeying traffic signs or signals, even where the
statutes specially permit such conduct. All red lights and stop signs will be observed until the
intersection is cleared and all cross traflic is stopped. Offrcers shall make use ofall available
waming devices to alert other motorists and pedestrians.

14. Georgia Traffic Law, Chapter 40-6-6: Authorized Emergency Vehicles states:

a. The driver ofan authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency

call or when in the pursuit ofan actual or suspected violator of the law or when
responding to but not upon retuming from a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set
forth in this section.

b. The driver ofan emergency vehicle may (l) park or stand, irrespective ofthe
provisions ofthis Title; (2) proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after
slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation; (3) exceed the maximum speed
limits so long as he does not endanger life or property; (4) disregard regulations
goveming directions of movement or tuming in specified directions.

c. The exemptions herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply onlv
when such vehicle is making use ofan audible device meeting the requirements of40-8-
94 and use ofa flashing or revolving red light visible under normal atrnospheric
conditions from a distance of500 feet to the front ofsuch vehicle except that a vehicle
belonging to a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency and operated as such shall
be making use of a flashing or revolving blue light with the same visibility to the front of
the vehicle.

d. The foregoing provisions shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency
vehicle from the duty to drive with due resard for the safety of all persons.

15. Any departrnent vehicle not fully equipped with emergency lights and siren is prohibited
from being involved in a high-speed pursuit.

16. Offrcers will not initiate a pursuit under the following conditions

a. When the officer has a civilian ride along or prisoner.

GO 84-09 Emergency Vehicle Operations 5

 b. When the identity of the offender is positively known to the officer and there is no
longer any need for immediate apprehension.

c. When traffic, pedestrian, and/or weather conditions make the risk factors more
compelling than the reason to initiate the pursuit.

d. When operating police motorcycles.

17. Any officer involved in a pursuit will terminate the pursuit under any one ofthe following
conditions:

a. When ordered by a supervisor to terminate the pursuit;

b. When the officer believes the level of danger created by the pursuit outweighs the
necessity for the immediate apprehension; or

c. When the suspect's identity has been established to the point that later apprehension
can be accomplished and there is no longer any need for immediate apprehension.

18. A Pumuit Report form will be completed on all pwsuits whether or not the fleeing vehicle
was apprehended or lost.

a. It shall be the responsibility ofthe primary pursuing officer to complete the report.

b. An incident number will be assigned to all vehicle pursuits.

c. The supervisor in charge at the time of the pursuit will file an administrative review
(AR) inquiry to insure that all policy requirements for the pursuit were met and radio
traffic documented.

19. This procedure is based upon recognition ofthe basic need for pursuit under certain
circumstances. Great reliance is placed upon the individual officer and field supervisors in the
application of the experience, common sense, and training. All officers will be held accountable
for continuing a pursuit when circumstances indicate it should have been terminated. Officers
will be neither criticized nor disciplined when their decision is to terminate rather than continue a
pursuit.

20. An annual written review and analysis of departrnent vehicle pursuit reports will be
conducted and completed by a designated employee by February 15ft and submiued to the chief
of police with a copy provided to the certification manager.

21. The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police Pursuit Data Collection Form will be completed
by a designated employee and submitted to the director ofthe Georgia Law Enforcement
Certification Program by March l't for the preceding calendar year.

D Emergency Response (Code 3) Procedure

1 All laws cited in Sec. III ofthis policy will be adhered to during code 3 runs.

2. Dispatchers and/or supervisors can authorize a code 3 response based on available

information at time ofdispatch, with the supervisor having final authority.
GO E4-(D f,mergency Vehicle Operations 6
 3. Code 3 runs will be canceled by either the dispatcher or supervisor immediately upon
notification that no true emergency exists or that other units such as police, fire, rescue, or
ambulance are on the scene.

4. The following additional restrictions will apply to Code 3 runs:

a Officers will not escort civilian or other emergency vehicles Code 3

b. Officers will not pass vehicles on the right unless passage to the left is totally
obstructed.

Offrcers will not cut comers or cut through parking lots.

d. Officers will not drive at excessively high rates of speed over the posted speed limit
on any street or road, especially in school zones, residential neighborhoods or healy
traffrc business areas. Speeds will be determined excessive by use ofthe risk factors
outlined in Sec. III, par C, subsection 4, a-g ofthis general order.

e. All red lights and stop signs will be adhered to until all traffic has stopped and the
intersection is clear to proceed safely. Officers will slow down at all green lights and
through intercections to ensure no one is making a left tum or right tum into the
intersection.

f. Both emergency lights and siren will be utilized. Emergency operation with lights
only is not authorized. Lights and siren should be deactivated when nearing the scene ofa
crime in progress. Offrcers will drive accordingly.

5. Officers operating police motorcycles are not authorized to make Code 3 runs.

6. Offrcen shall remember that other emergency vehicles such as fire, ambulance, and police
may also be enroute to the same destination. You will be no help if you don't arrive safely!

This General Order supersedes any order ot procedure previously issued

BY ORDER OF TIIE CHIEF OF POLICE:

Brett VANS
Chief of Police

BY APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR: G-d /o.--'

R"rdy T;fiI
Mayor

GO 84-(D Emergency Vehicle Operations 7