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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 1:38 p.m., Tuesday, July 10, 2007

'Please Abide, Move aside' EMS campaign starts today

Advertiser Staff

Do you know what to do if an ambulance is quickly coming up behinid you? How about a fire truck, or police car?

Every day, emergency service crews respond to hundreds of calls. Sometimes, getting there can be the difference between life and death.

Today, Honolulu's Emergency Services Department is kicking off a campaign aimed at increasing its success and response rate.

"Please Abide, Move Aside" is a campaign designed to educate the public on basic traffic safety laws and what to do when encountering an emergency vehicle responding to an emergency call on Oahu's roadways.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann along with officials from the Honolulu Emergency Services Department will hold a news conference at 11:30 a.m. today in the mayor's conference room on the third floor of Honolulu Hale.

"We want to remind drivers that these laws are in place for a reason and to please make way for all emergency vehicles," Honolulu Emergency Services Department Director Elizabeth Char, M.D., said in a released statement. "We are asking for the public's cooperation to obey the laws of the road and remember that every second counts when a human life is at stake."

Television and radio spots will air during the campaign to remind the public what to do when an emergency vehicle is approaching and what to do after the emergency vehicle has passed. For more information about the "Please Abide, Move Aside" campaign, contact the Honolulu Emergency Services Department at 723-7814 or visit its Web site.

The Honolulu Emergency Services Department consists of the Emergency Medical Services Division, which provides ambulance services on Oahu, and the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division, whose water safety officers protect beachgoers on Oahu's beaches.