Parking rules to facilitate the emergency services

Paid parking zones have defined the rules for possible parking. In order to create as many parking spaces as possible, parking zones end very close to the crossing or in front of intersections in many places. This often causes problems for the Integrated Rescue System, especially in situations where firemen need to get to fires, paramedics to the sick and injured, and police to crime scenes.

A journey to the site of an emergency was simulated to see what it is like when the Integrated Rescue System needs to get to the scene of the crisis. We drove through some of the streets of Prague in a Fire Rescue Service vehicle. There are places where the vehicle simply could not get through and there are junctions where there is not enough space for a big fire truck to turn. However, there is a simple solution. It would help if we all thought of every possible situation that may arise when parking our car, be it a fire, a dangerous situation on a rooftop, a heart attack, a fall on the street, etc. There are countless examples. We should ALWAYS park as close as possible to the curb and NEVER cross the border of paid parking zones. “Centimetres can fundamentally affect the saving of lives and property. However, small details can be enough to make a real difference, whether it is to make sure that the car is inside the horizontal lines or to considerably push in mirrors,” Prague Councillor for Security, Michal Zuna, said. In Prague, the basic components of the Integrated Rescue System are the City of Prague Fire Rescue Service, the City of Prague Emergency Medical Service and the Police of the Czech Republic.