§ 603. Authorized emergency vehicles, regulation.

A.

The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call, or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm may:

1.

Disregard regulations governing parking and standing of vehicles;

2.

Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;

3.

Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as he does not endanger life or property; or

4.

Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.

Provided, however, the exemptions herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of the required emergency equipment hereinafter specified.

B.

Authorized emergency vehicles, other than police vehicles, shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by ordinance, be equipped with both a siren, exhaust whistle or bell capable of giving an audible signal and with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two (2) alternately flashing red lights located at the same level, and these lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred (500) feet in normal sunlight or, as an alternative, such emergency vehicles may use one (1) flashing red signal lamp so located at or near the top of the vehicle which, when lighted is visible for a distance of five hundred (500) feet in normal sunlight, both to the front and to the rear of the vehicle. Police vehicles, when used as an authorized emergency vehicle, shall be equipped with a siren capable of giving an audible signal, and need not be equipped with visual signals.

C.

The provisions of this section shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of others.

D.

Any ambulance company or operator responding to an emergency (priority one) call, shall immediately inform the Tulsa Police Department Dispatcher concerning the nature of the reported emergency and the points of origin and destination of its dispatched emergency vehicle.