Bill Andrews, St Paul's Bay
Emergency lights on animal ambulance
As an animal lover, I was pleased to see the photograph of the animal ambulance printed in The Times. However, I have one small concern. The vehicle appeared to be equipped with blue strobe lights and, I assume, a two-tone siren - known in other parts of Europe as "Blues and Twos".
To my mind, blue lights should apply only to emergency vehicles, as the rules of the road dictate that other drivers give way to such vehicles. Blue lights are usually restricted to police, hospital ambulance, civil protection, emergency rescue and some AFM vehicles.
Whatever good work the animal ambulance does, it should be restricted to orange strobe lights and no siren, much as the warden's cars, tow trucks and breakdown vehicles. Giving access to a vehicle equipped with "Blues and Twos" to an untrained driver, is putting the temptation of abuse in their path.
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emanuel magrin
Aug 12th 2009, 17:44
The video link shows just how important that Animal Ambulance service is effective even during heavy traffic as there is a sick or injured animal fighting for life inside.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC10t8bkZis
Lawrence Magrin
Aug 11th 2009, 14:08
@ Kenneth Cassar.
Thumbs up Ken. Very well said.
Kenneth Cassar
Aug 11th 2009, 11:15
@ Ramon Casha:
"I would rather have the animal ambulance use a different strobe light than risk someone not giving the blue lights the clearance it should entail simply because they think it's "just an animal ambulance".
Interesting sense of judgement and fairness...punish the injured animal for the irresponsibility of the human.
Kenneth Cassar
Aug 11th 2009, 11:01
@ Gerry Cowie:
I already explained to you elsewhere that if non-human animals had more rights than humans, veganism would be compulsory and enforced by law. That non-human animals are treated better than humans can be found only in your imagination. Stop flogging a dead horse. Where do humans come second?
You mention crazy fanatics under the "animal rights" banner who desecrated a grave and sent letter bombs. So does the anti-abortion cause lose all its credit because anti-abortionists have actually killed people ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2864159.stm )?
You then weirdly see a problem with having an animal taken to a clinic in an ambulance with blue light "at the expense of human beings", when the expense is at most arriving to your destination 5 seconds late.
Incredible!
Kenneth Cassar
Aug 11th 2009, 07:35
@ J Farrugia:
"And to all those who are comparing animals with people I say to them that it seems that you have no families at all. As if your fathers and your animals are the same. Shame on you. Immoral at its worst".
I see. And you'd let an animal die just so that you won't arrive at your destination 5 seconds late. And you call US immoral!
Kenneth Cassar
Aug 11th 2009, 07:32
@ J Farrugia:
"blue lights do not fit on an animal ambulance".
Oh yes they do...see http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/ambulance/dscd0502.jpg
"And if ever I meet someone using sirens or blue lights for an animal I will report him directly to the police commissioner for action to be taken against such persons".
Yes, do so, and make a fool of yourself.
"And to all those who are comparing animals with people I say to them that it seems that you have no families at all".
What has this got to do with anything?
"I will never give right of way or precedence to any animal ambulance be it on an emergency or with its lights on. You have been warned now".
Try it. We're watching.
Ramon Casha
Aug 11th 2009, 06:25
Not everyone will agree with Franco Farrugia that an animal is just as important as a human. I would rather have the animal ambulance use a different strobe light than risk someone not giving the blue lights the clearance it should entail simply because they think it's "just an animal ambulance".
v.pulis
Aug 11th 2009, 03:06
@ Bill Andrews
Is the ambulance being used for rescue or recovery purposes? if the former then the blue lights are necessary if the latterr we don't need an ambulance at all.
Mark Vella Bardon (Noah's Ark)
Aug 10th 2009, 23:32
Show how you treat animals and it reflects on how you treat your own kin.
@Mr Andrews ... yellow lights, blue lights whatever the lights, when an ambulace is responding to an emergency just get out of the way and let it pass. I can assure you that our ambulance drivers wil only use emergency lights and sirens when they are necessary. This is not a game we are playing, it is a service to injured strays.
On the other hand, what is done in the UK or anywhere else does not impose on us, a sovreign nation.
We are authorised ot use Blue Lights and so be it. Not allowing passage to an ambulance is an offence, both civil and moral.
Perhaps somebody else will write an informative letter, requesting us to correct a small problem: i.e. to change the name from "ambulance" to "pick-up" or even "taxi" !
Gerry Cowie
Aug 10th 2009, 21:33
I recently called in this newspaper for equal rights for humans to bring them on a par with animals!
I see a trend developing where people come second in so many ways.
That does not mean that I am against animals. On the contrary I love animals myself. I simply have an approach which puts people first.
However, I shall have more respect for tsnimals and for animal lovers when humans, particularly the unborn, are better treated. I shall defend human life from conception to natural death, at every opportunity, in the same way that they defend animals.
I hope the atrocities committed against humans in the UK by animal rights activists never happens in Malta. In one case a grave was desecrated by such persons! People have sent letter bombs to people as well! This insane behaviour was perpetrated by people who put animals before people big time!
Here, then, is another example of people wanting more rights for animals. Why should they have blue flashing lights which allow them to get to a vet's surgery or animal hospital at the expense of human beings? I totally agree with the writer of the letter that this is not acceptable.
isabella peresso Fiorentino
Aug 10th 2009, 20:29
J Farrugia - If you don't ;ike the way many of us love and respect aanimals the way we should, I suggest you take a holiday somewhere in the wilderness and stay there forever !!
Oh and another thing, if you deslike animals so much, please refrain from writing such silly comments where they are concerned.
Emanuel Magrin
Aug 10th 2009, 20:19
@ J. Farrugia You said "I will never give right of way or precedence to any animal ambulance be it on an emergency or with its lights on. You have been warned now. Lawrence Magrin said "Not withstanding that we had the blue light there were odd times when we used to be stuck in heavy traffic, only to be assisted by traffic police who escorted us to the vets themselves. Mela ghamila tal-bravu sur J. Farrugia forsi ma tafx kif jittowjawlek il-karozza.
C Cassar
Aug 10th 2009, 17:15
@Bill Andrews: The term 'blues & twos' is typical nonsense from the UK and no other part of Europe. It's a typical British formulation trying to be clever & cryptic. Everywhere else in Europe they are called exactly what they are - blue flashing lights, so everyone can understand it. If an animal has been injured, it should be treated as an emergency since a life is at risk. It's a life that has exactly the same right to exist and be looked after as our own.
LAWRENCE MAGRIN
Aug 10th 2009, 15:44
@ Bill Andrews.
I ran the very first animal ambulance in 1995 and we started of with an orange light emergency beacon. The result was that during an emergency while carrying badly injured animals, no one would give way to us to pass freely as seeing the orange light drivers used to think that we were a towing service or a refuse transport. Hence in many occasions animals suffered haemorage and died on the way to the vet as we were caught in traffic.
Thanks to the mature understanding of the then police traffic superintendent Alfred Abela, our ambulance was given permission to use the blue light. This made a big difference even to human beings , as in some cases we also used our blue light ambulance to assist during traffic accidents till the police vechicles arrived on the spot while awaiting for the St. Lukes Hospital ambulances.
Not withstanding that we had the blue light there were odd times when we used to be stuck in heavy traffic, only to be assisted by traffic police who escorted us to the vets themselves.
Noah's Ark animal ambulance should also have a blue light and a siren aswell.
.
Deo Catania
Aug 10th 2009, 14:30
@J Farrugia. comments like yours confirm why Malta is in such a pity state.
adrian aquilina
Aug 10th 2009, 14:23
mr j.farrugia ... first humans are animals..both human and non human animals should be looked after.both should be transported as quick as possible in an ambulance.
also if anyone sees mr farrugia not indicating before turning,driving too fast,turning right when not allowed,going the wrong way up a one way street or trying to slow down any emergency ambulance then report him to the police..there are enough stupid people on the roads
Dunstan Crockford
Aug 10th 2009, 13:50
Hopefully they have a two way radio too! This would help them get to where they are needed as quickly as possible!
J Farrugia
Aug 10th 2009, 13:20
I will never give right of way or precedence to any animal ambulance be it on an emergency or with its lights on. You have been warned now.
J Farrugia
Aug 10th 2009, 13:19
And to all those who are comparing animals with people I say to them that it seems that you have no families at all. As if your fathers and your animals are the same. Shame on you. Immoral at its worst.
J Farrugia
Aug 10th 2009, 13:18
blue lights do not fit on an animal ambulance. And if ever I meet someone using sirens or blue lights for an animal I will report him directly to the police commissioner for action to be taken against such persons. People first not animals. We are already seeing on our roads the abuse being made by the Prisons department, using sirens to get the prisoners at Kordin in time for their dinners with full lights on and sirens blarring. This is an abuse of the law. And it may also amount to criminal negligence.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 10th 2009, 13:09
Some animal-lover! If an animal needs urgent seeing to, in my books, that is as much of an emergency as that of the man next door!
d bugeja
Aug 10th 2009, 11:00
@Bill Andrews
I just can' t accept your comment. If an animal is in distress then he needs urgent attention and that is emergency. If a dog is in danger of dying, ithen we must save him before he dies.
Deo Catania
Aug 10th 2009, 10:35
On too many occasions an ambulance with its lights and siren on drives to Paola during the morning rush hour.........I really have my doubts as to why almost this happens daily and has stopped only lately since traffic has decreased due to school holidays and businesses are on shut down.
Kenneth Cassar
Aug 10th 2009, 10:06
"To my mind, blue lights should apply only to emergency vehicles".
Exactly. So what's your problem, dear "animal lover"?
Jon Vercellono
Aug 10th 2009, 09:48
Who is to say that the driver of the Animal Ambulance is "untrained". Secondly, Veterinarians have an equal level of education as do Medical Doctors; if an Animal Ambulance is taking an animal to a Veterinarian - and IF they have the lights as you describe (which is not verified - nor is the siren issue) - we must give way as well. Please do not take complaining to such an absurd level.