In Case of An Emergency or Fire You Call The Red Train Fire Truck, (Video)

Many drivers are as ignorant of emergency vehicles as they are of RR grade crossings.
In the mid-atlantic states, some fire depts. have added train horns to their apparatus to aid in clearing congested intersections and backed up interstates. I can think of over 1 dozen departments in the 4-state area I photograph in that have done this.
1 example close to me is this huge rescue truck from Walkersville,MD. which has a Nathan 5-chime. One vol. fire company near Winchester,VA., has 3-chime horns on all their apparatus.
It is thought by fire apparatus enthusiasts that the practice originated with a Fire Dept. of New York rescue truck in the 1970s.

Nice paint scheme on that Walkersville Firet Truck. Also that chrome painted Nathan horn is a Nathan P5. Wish there was a video of this truck and the red one below that. The red rescue 3 truck looks from the picture a Nathan K5LA.

Check youtube under "Walkersville rescue squad 24" and you will find several videos.
Also check "FDNY Rescue 2 with train horn" for videos of the current FDNY rig that carries one.

My guess is they can't move because they have a red light and would be pulling out into moving cross traffic. Have seen traffic lights where approaching emergency vehicles turn the lights green for their direction and for reasons unknown to mankind green for oncoming traffic as well. After they pass it skips the cross traffic green light completely and provides another session of green for the emergency route traffic. Causes huge back ups on the cross streets. We also have some 2 lane side streets the emergency vehicles use so there is NOWHERE for traffic to pull over or go 

It's called the Opticom traffic preemption system. First used over 35 years ago.
Expensive, but effective.
Sorry that emergency responses seem to be such a bother to you...

I'm surprised they haven't done this out here in So. Cal. I like it.

I'd love to put a locomotive horn on my first due apparatus - we run on two interstates daily for assorted calls and MVC's. Unfortunately, the 'youngins' in my department don't like 'loud noises' thus don't like to use the siren or horns. They assume people will just extend the courtesy and kindly move out of the way.

Me, I'm old school - the more noise - the more people will get out of the way.