Pull over for flashing green light
NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2014
Pull over for flashing green light
(Queen’s Park) – When you see a flashing green light in your rear-view mirror, pull over.
That was the reminder that Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott gave to MPPs in the Ontario
Legislature on April 10.
“A flashing green light on a car or truck means: ‘A firefighter is on the way to an emergency, and
minutes can mean life or death, to a family like yours – so make way,’” Mr. Arnott said.
This year marks 20 years since Mr. Arnott’s Private Member’s Bill amending the Highway Traffic
Act to allow volunteer firefighters to use the flashing green light on their cars and trucks when
responding to an emergency was successfully passed into law.
Wayne Nie, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario was
present in the House for Mr. Arnott’s statement.
Mr. Arnott suggested in the House that the Ontario Government should be doing more to
promote awareness.
“And even after 20 years, more needs to be done to raise public awareness of volunteer
firefighters’ flashing green lights, especially for our urban residents who may be visiting rural
Ontario,” Mr. Arnott pointed out.
Mr. Arnott noted afterwards that many municipalities have erected signs to inform motorists, but
that municipalities have not received provincial funding for this expense.
“I urge the Ministers of Community Safety and Transportation to work together to develop a
strategy to continue to raise public awareness, to ensure your firefighters can respond to
emergencies swiftly and safety, fulfilling their important calling and mission and saving lives,”
Mr, Arnott said.
Mr. Arnott also thanked Ontario’s volunteer firefighters for putting their lives on the line.
“All our firefighters deserve our special appreciation, but our volunteer firefighters are the day-to-
day heroes of small town Ontario,” Mr. Arnott said. “We can never say thanks enough, and
that’s why I’ve raised many of their concerns in this House over the years.”
(Attached: Text of Mr. Arnott’s statement in the Ontario Legislature, April 10, 2014)
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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
Text of Mr. Arnott’s statement in the Ontario Legislature on
April 10, 2014
Mr. Speaker:
In 1994, twenty years ago, the Ontario Legislature passed the amendment to the Highway
Traffic Act which allows our volunteer firefighters to use a flashing green light on their cars or
trucks, when they are responding to an emergency.
This was the very first Private Member’s Bill of mine which was passed into law.
Working together two decades ago to build support, I remember the strong efforts of Wellington
County fire chiefs like Clifford’s Dennis Kaufman, and Doug Smith of Puslinch Township.
Today, we are joined in the House by Wayne Nie, who is Chair of the Board of Directors of the
Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario. Thank you Wayne for coming here today.
All of our Province’s firefighters deserve our special appreciation, but our volunteer firefighters
are the day-to-day heroes of small town Ontario.
We can never say thanks enough, and that’s why I’ve raised many of their concerns in this
House over the years.
And even after 20 years, more needs to be done to raise public awareness of volunteer
firefighters’ flashing green lights, especially for our urban residents who may be visiting rural
Ontario.
Many rural municipalities have erected road signs to inform motorists, but the Province could do
much more to help remind drivers that a flashing green light on a car or truck means:
“A firefighter is on the way to an emergency, and minutes can mean life or death, to a family like
yours – so make way.”
I urge the Ministers of Community Safety and Transportation to work together to develop a
strategy to continue to raise public awareness, to ensure our firefighters can respond to
emergencies swiftly and safely, fulfilling their important calling and mission, and saving lives.