El Paso City Code § 12.12.010 Adherence to regulations.
12.12.010 - Adherence to regulations.
A. The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to, but not upon returning from, a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.
B. The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:
1. Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of this title;
2. Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;
3. Exceed the prima facie speed limits when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, except that ambulances on emergency calls shall not be operated at a rate of speed greater than ten miles per hour over or above the posted prima facie speed limit on any street within the city limits;
4. Disregard regulations governing directions of movement or turning in specified directions.
C. The exemptions herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when the driver of any such vehicle while in motion sounds audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle, as may be reasonably necessary, and/or when the vehicle is equipped with at least one lighted lamp displaying a red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet to the front of such vehicle, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle need not be equipped with or display a red light visible from in front of the vehicle.
D. The foregoing provisions shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all other persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequence of his reckless disregard for the safety of others.
E. The foregoing subsections A, B and C of this section apply to vehicles of the police and fire departments, vehicles of the El Paso International Airport, and to authorized ambulances. Vehicles of other city departments may be equipped with a flashing amber light, and when so equipped such vehicles are designated as authorized emergency vehicles, but only for the limited purposes of this subsection. Such city vehicles equipped with a flashing amber light, and while such light is flashing, may stand or park irrespective of the provisions of this title; and may, while such light is flashing, disregard regulations governing directions of movement or turning in specified directions in order to stand or park in the performance of their functions. The driver of such vehicles equipped with an amber light shall, however, obey all other traffic laws and ordinances.
F. No person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment or device moved by human power upon any street or highway within the city limits with any lamp or device thereon displaying a red light visible from directly in front of the center thereof. This subsection shall not apply to police vehicles or to any vehicle upon which a red light visible from the front is expressly authorized or required by law. This subsection applies to the color of any lamp or illumination device whether lighted or unlighted, and to any reflector exhibiting or reflecting perceptible light.
(Prior code § 20-16)