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By ²ÝݮӰÊÓ Staff

Motor vehicle collisions present numerous hazards — just like a hazardous materials incident hot zone — to police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and tow operators. The key to reducing your risk as a crash responder is to combine the principles of hazmat response of time, distance and shielding with high-visibility scene markers, clothing and lighting.

Time: Limit your exposure at the scene. Keep assessments and interventions efficient, and act with urgency to get yourself, your partners, any patients and any bystanders out of the hot zone as quickly as possible.

Distance: Maximize your distance from traffic and potential dangers like leaking fuel or unstable vehicles. Begin warning drivers of the crash scene upstream with signs and emergency vehicles.

Shielding: Use blocking vehicles, like fire trucks and highway department trucks, to protect the scene from impaired and distracted drivers. This includes positioning apparatus between you and moving traffic.

High-visibility vests, traffic cones, scene lighting and personal lighting devices won’t shield you or protect you from being struck by a passing vehicle, but they are important to warn other drivers and mark the boundaries of the hot zone.

Crash responder road flares, cones and triangles

Use department-provided items like road flares, traffic cones and LED lights as a visible barrier and for directing traffic around or away from the incident. Consider keeping similar gear and lights in your personal vehicle if you are involved in a collision or respond off-duty to a collision or disabled vehicle in the roadway. Here are some top-rated Amazon products:

This three-pack of rechargeable, crashproof and waterproof high-visibility lights can be placed on the ground, magnetically attached to metal, or hung from a hook.

: Stock up with this 10-pack of emergency LED road flares. The complete safety kit includes USB-C charging cables, a carrying bag and a whistle. This is a great accessory for your RV, boat trailer or snowmobile trailer. If you need a few more, here’s a .

: This two-pack of bright burning road flares burn hot and bright for 15 minutes.

: These high-visibility LED flares can be attached with a magnetic base or stand upright, increasing their visibility up to a mile. Like other LED lights it has multiple flasher modes.

: These 18-inch or 28-inch collapsible traffic safety cones stow away in a compact bag and can be used to help mark a motor vehicle collision before blocking apparatus arrives.

: This three-pack of reflective triangles meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS 571.125 specifications for warning devices that can help warn motorists to drive with caution around a crash.

Personal lighting and flashlights

Light up the work area with a flashlight, headlamp or personal light and warning device, like these:

: Wear this multi-function device to light up your work area and make your presence visible to other responders and motor vehicle operators. Mount the Guardian Angel on your shirt, vest, bicycle bar, or your K-9 partner.

You’ll see and be seen with this rechargeable flashlight that has three lighting modes, including an 800-lumen 300-meter beam.

: This tactical light fits in a vest or BDU pocket and can be clipped to your ball cap visor.

High-visibility apparel

This vest is available in multiple colors and styles, but the most important thing is that crash responder vests comply with ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 Type R.