Inbuilt Hands Free Mobile Phone equipment for Emergency Services

WIZE

Hi All

Do Garda Cars . Abulance and Fire Engines have in build Inbuilt Hands Free Mobile Phone equipment

I see alot of Gardas Driving with Phones to their ears which im sure is Against the Law but not the point

Just a Question

CharlieCroker

Some do, most don't. Gardai are exempt from that law when on duty. Not as prevalent as it used to be with the introduction of better radios

Tango Alpha 51

Short answer is no they dont. In relation to the part of your post that you think it's against the law, again under the relevant sections of the road traffic act concerning the use of mobile phones whilst driving a vehicle, all garda,ambulance & fire personnel are exempt from this ruling whilst using the phone during the performance of their duties. As CC has stated not as much an issue for AGS now that tetra has come in for them. Hopefully won't be as much of an issue for us as I'm led to believe that we should have the tetra up & running before the year is out if not alot sooner.

Saxobank

WIZE wrote: »

Hi All

Do Garda Cars . Abulance and Fire Engines have in build Inbuilt Hands Free Mobile Phone equipment

I see alot of Gardas Driving with Phones to their ears which im sure is Against the Law but not the point

Just a Question

Well your obviously not WIZE to the law. they are exempt while acting in the course of their duty.

Zambia

Why are they exempt? That does just seem a bit of a cop out to me. However I am open to correction.

source

Because the whole country is not yet covered by a secure radio network, Tetra has been introduced in a lot of districts/divisions but at the moment there is still a need for use of a mobile phone for secure radio transactions in some parts of the state.

This section was brought into effect when the whole country was still using an analogue radio system. Mobile phones were the only way of ensuring that details of sensitive calls remained secure.

3.— (1) A person shall not while driving a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place hold a mobile phone.


(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a member of the Garda Síochána, an ambulance service or a fire brigade of a fire authority (within the meaning of the Fire Services Act 1981 ) who is acting in the course of his or her duties and holding a mobile phone in relation to the performance of his or her duties.


(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence.


(4) The Minister may, to avoid the impairment or interference with the driving capacity or capabilities of the driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle, make regulations in relation to the restriction or prohibition in mechanically propelled vehicles in public places of the use of—


(a) a mobile phone (other than in the circumstances referred to in subsection (1)),


(b) an in-vehicle communication device,


(c) information equipment, or


(d) entertainment equipment.


(5) Different regulations may be made under subsection (4) for different classes of cases coming within the same class of equipment or for different classes of vehicles in relation to such equipment or different classes of persons.


(6) A person who contravenes or fails to comply with regulations made under subsection (4) is guilty of an offence.


(7) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (3), in relation to holding a mobile phone while driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, or under subsection (6), in relation to the use of a mobile phone or an in-vehicle communication device, to show that he or she was—


(a) using it to call the Garda Síochána, an ambulance, fire or other emergency service on numbers prescribed for such service, or


(b) involved in or acting in response to a genuine emergency.


(8) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €2,000.


(9) In this section—


“ hands-free device ” means a device designed so that when used in conjunction with a mobile phone there is no need for the user to hold the phone by hand;


“ hold ”, in relation to a mobile phone, means holding the phone by hand or supporting or cradling it with another part of the body;


“ interactive communication function ” includes—


(a) sending or receiving oral or written messages,


(b) sending or receiving facsimile documents,


(c) sending or receiving still or moving images, or


(d) providing access to the internet;


“ in-vehicle communication device ” means a communication device designed or adapted to be attached to or integrated into a mechanically propelled vehicle or which may be used in or on such a vehicle and with which a person is capable of making or receiving a call or performing an interactive communication function and includes a two-way radio;


“ mobile phone ” means a portable communication device, other than a two-way radio, with which a person is capable of making or receiving a call or performing an interactive communication function, but for the purposes of subsection (1) does not include a hands-free device;


“ portable ” in relation to a mobile phone, means the phone is designed or adapted to be carried by a person;


“ two-way radio ” means an apparatus for wireless telegraphy which is designed or adapted for the purpose of transmitting or receiving spoken words or messages between a person and another, using a frequency other than a frequency used by a mobile phone.

Locust

Zambia wrote: »

Why are they exempt? That does just seem a bit of a cop out to me. However I am open to correction.

As well as the security issue. Police often have to convey urgent information from being out and about - back to the stations, whilst they are on the go.
I know in Dublin there is usually a high volume of 'calls' holding which have to be dealt with as soon as a car is free. The car crew may not have that time to pull into the roadside and convey what happened at the last call. It makes a lot of sense that Emergency Services be exempt.

Zambia

Thanks for that.

However I would disagree. The reason using a mobile phone while driving in general is due to the fact its dangerous. Various studies show that its like driving over the limit and basically not driving with due care and attention yadda yadda etc

Now the reason you guys have given me is that because the state has not supplied a secure radio. They have legislated in a work around.

If using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous then its does not become not dangerous because you need to make a secure call. Surely the passenger can take the call?

Or the state can spring for a bluetooth hands free.

source

Zambia wrote: »

Thanks for that.

However I would disagree. The reason using a mobile phone while driving in general is due to the fact its dangerous. Various studies show that its like driving over the limit and basically not driving with due care and attention yadda yadda etc

Now the reason you guys have given me is that because the state has not supplied a secure radio. They have legislated in a work around.

If using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous then its does not become not dangerous because you need to make a secure call. Surely the passenger can take the call?

Or the state can spring for a bluetooth hands free.

Often cars outside of cities are single crewed so no passenger to take the calls, as for the bluetooth it would never happen, especially now with the budget cuts...we're very very very lucky to be getting new cars. Even those are the cheapest they could find.

If it's not absolutely necessary and fought for by the representative associations we won't get it.

Locust

Zambia wrote: »

Thanks for that.

However I would disagree. The reason using a mobile phone while driving in general is due to the fact its dangerous. Various studies show that its like driving over the limit and basically not driving with due care and attention yadda yadda etc

Now the reason you guys have given me is that because the state has not supplied a secure radio. They have legislated in a work around.

If using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous then its does not become not dangerous because you need to make a secure call. Surely the passenger can take the call?

Or the state can spring for a bluetooth hands free.

We have a secure radio system, but the radio is for sending short messages, not for full on conversations.
Its still handier to make a phone call. Yes it is dangerous and distracting to drive whilst on the phone. I admit that.

I know a lot of people that will get the passenger to make the call if they can, or wait till they are stationary, but a lot of times like i said earlier the call has to be made 'on the go' in an emergency and you might be on your own in the car. Or like an ambulance driver could be alone in the front of the ambulance while his colleague is working on someone in the back and may have to make a call.

The main reason that emergency services are exempt is that 9 times out of 10 the calls will have a higher priority than checking facebook, texting the girlfriend or ringing mammy etc... like you see a lot of people doing, those calls can obviously wait.

Emergency Services can't wait. They are acting in the interest, preservation and security of life and property plain and simple.

deadwood

Zambia wrote: »

Or the state can spring for a bluetooth hands free.

But they have.

Just hope the guy before you has washed his ear'ole!

source

deadwood wrote: »

But they have.

Just hope the guy before you has washed his ear'ole!

I'd love to see some of these phantom bluetooth headsets.

Zambia

Cheers again lads.

I would have to disagree however. In the case you described; An ambulance driver with partner working in the back would be travelling at speed with lights.

The last thing they should be doing is driving with one hand.

source

Zambia wrote: »

Cheers again lads.

I would have to disagree however. In the case you described; An ambulance driver with partner working in the back would be travelling at speed with lights.

The last thing they should be doing is driving with one hand.

I don't think any of us think it's ideal, but it's there for a reason....I will say that i know of a number of districts around the country, where the local super has banned the use of mobiles for drivers on chiefs.

Personally i don't think any of us should be using phones while driving, but the provision is there for it and if it has been allowed by the legislators, then it will be used.

Zambia

I would imagine there is something in force policy about this. I cant imagine many ES members would be yapping away.

Turner

Zambia wrote: »

I would imagine there is something in force policy about this. I cant imagine many ES members would be yapping away.

Garda Code Regulations or Hq's (from any ES) are not allowed to be posted or discussed in this forum.

deadwood

Zambia wrote: »

The last thing they should be doing is driving with one hand.

I can operate under pressure with one hand.

maglite

deadwood wrote: »

I can operate under pressure with one hand.

The way your operated most of the time?

daveharnett

Zambia wrote: »

However I would disagree. The reason using a mobile phone while driving in general is due to the fact its dangerous. Various studies show that its like driving over the limit and basically not driving with due care and attention yadda yadda etc

The reason using a mobile phone is dangerous is because it's a distraction. This applies more-or-less equally whether the driver is hands-free or not (link). Two-way radios are no better in this respect (except that messages tend to be more brief),

The fact is that ES drivers will regularly need to give and receive information while driving. The only way to make it safer is with great (and universal) ES driver training to equip drivers to maintain standards despite distractions.

Zambia

Dave you may as well then make all cars single seater.

wreckless

fire service radios at 80% of the time are fooken brutal. even a couple of 100m from the station!!!! all crackle and white noise and static.

Us drivers do not and never use phones while driving. the OIC will if needed use his mobile if the radio isn't working.

We have to leave all pagers and mobile on the appliance at incidents, especially if attending calls with very flammable gases or liquids where intrinsically safe handheld radios are the only comms permitted.

Think we are in the same boat, not a secure radio, so some calls are made over the phone. The sooner we all go digital, and can actually make calls and have a decent reception in every part of the land, the better.

antichrist

Locust wrote: »

Or like an ambulance driver could be alone in the front of the ambulance while his colleague is working on someone in the back and may have to make a call.

I believe the appropriate term is Paramedic. I didn't get a diploma from UCD in ambulance driving, it was in Emergency Medical Science!

I know of 1 region that has in built phones in the ambo's and they work well. My region has installed bluetooth car kits for us, gets a bit awkward when yer swapping call for call though, having to disconnect the bluetooth and re-connect when yer in the hotseat again.

coolmoose

In fairness antichrist, the phrase "ambulance driver" was used in the context of the person driving the vehicle whilst his colleague is in the back...but I feel your frustration! Most people think the Paramedic is in the back now, and that there are still drivers!

Anyway, the OP obviously doesn't work in the ES, relying on the state provided radios etc. sounds all well and good until you do...then you realise you need your phone. Google Maps is one of the most used things on my phone whilst working!