Detroit fire commissioner revises no lights, no sirens policy

DETROIT (WJBK) - The Detroit Fire Department's new policy to go without lights and sirens has ignited a huge controversy.
    
There's been so much backlash, the fire commissioner is already revising the rules. 

"When we first decided to implement this policy for the protection of the citizens and the firefighters, we knew that we were going to have to make some refinements to the policy," said Eric Jones, Detroit Fire Department commissioner. "So we did that."

The old policy, Code One, refers to a fire run in which life is threatened. In that case lights and sirens are used. Code Two are non-life-threatening runs, and no lights and sirens are used.  And the revision?

"All fire alarms have been moved back to Code One," Jones said. "All carbon monoxide alarms have been moved back to Code One and all downed power lines have been moved back to Code One."

The commissioner said he revised the policy was because he wanted to "minimize the chance of error," he said.

And when these large rigs are racing through the streets of Detroit with lights and sirens on, it could kill people.

"I haven't seen a new policy," said Mike Nevin, president of the Detroit Fire Fighter's Union. "Nothing has been forwarded to this office. I am preparing a lawsuit for an injunction.

FOX 2: "(We) haven't seen a lawsuit."

"Breaking news," Nevin said.

FOX 2: "The new policy is that Code Ones will be used at downed power lines, all fire alarms, and all carbon monoxide calls."

"Breaking news," Nevin said. "Well, I haven't seen the policy."

What was the union's reaction be if that was the policy?

"I don't know, I haven't seen it," Nevin said.

FOX 2: "If that is the policy, would you accept that?"

"I haven't seen it, I have to see the entire procedure," Nevin said. "I don't know. I honestly don't know."

Commissioner Jones said that for now, this is the policy for Code One and Code Two. However, he said he is open to changing that policy should something happen or they discover that it is not working.

"We are going to look at it, we would seek input from anybody that had valuable, beneficial, factual input," Jones said. "We received some of that input and we made the changes."

So until formal policy gets to the fire fighters, it looks like there is no comment.

"I've heard words such as catastrophic and carnage," Nevin said. "This isn't like a Transformers movie that as the rig goes down the street, buildings are falling down behind us and there's scorched earth. We are professionals, we know what we're doing."

And the flames keep burning.