ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Charles Jackson thinks that a lack of understanding and fear is what makes drivers prevent emergency vehicles from being able to easily negotiate busy Orange County intersections.

• Resident says drivers do not make way for emergency vehicles
• Fire rescue uses system to change traffic lights

"Nobody wanted to move … there were a couple of cars that tried to get out of the way, but they couldn't do it," said Charles Jackson. "So the emergency vehicle had to sit here and blow and blow and was detained at least two to three minutes."

Orange County Fire Rescue recently allowed me to tour their facility and told me they have seen it all when it comes to driver behavior at those clogged intersections.

"Some of the responses we encounter are rude gestures. Sometimes they will cut you off. It almost seems like they are trying to provoke you. You have to remember you are a professional," said Orange County fire fighter Elliott Dix.

Talking with local firefighters, the most interesting thing we heard described to us was that firefighters actually want the road to part open for them like a river. 

So whatever side of the curb is closest to you, whether it's the right or the left, is the side you should go to, creating a path down the middle for that fire engine or truck.

They want you to be safe as possible when getting out of their path and do not want you to enter an intersection at a red light and potentially cause another wreck.

As far as technology to help them do this, Orange County Fire Rescue employs the Opticom system on all their engines and trucks, which allows their vehicles to communicate with certain intersections to help clear them as they arrive.

While firefighters told me this system is implemented at several busy intersections, it is not installed on all of them.

As for Jackson, he wants to see a better effort to aid Central Florida's emergency responders get to where they need to go.

"There has to be another system that the DMV can put in place to clear the intersections when emergency vehicles need to pass," remarked Jackson.

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