Mobility for emergency services
Did you know that every second counts when emergency services are on the way? Learn how we can all contribute to smooth access for emergency vehicles.
All the information on this subject can be found in this PDF
Always keep the road clear
All road users — motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and others — must immediately yield and make way for a fire engine or ambulance using its siren.
A few tips to safely make way for a priority vehicle:
- Make sure your hearing is unobstructed so you can hear an approaching priority vehicle in time. Ideally, do not listen with earbuds or to music that is too loud.
- Stop before the intersection if necessary, to prevent the risk of blocking it.
- Pull over safely and avoid stopping in the middle of the road or on a bend.
- Following an emergency vehicle to navigate through heavy traffic more quickly is not allowed.
- Park correctly: improper parking, work zones, or bollards can obstruct the passage of emergency services and waste valuable time.
- Form a rescue lane: move to the left if you are in the left lane, and to the right if you are in the right lane.
Mobility at road works or a construction site
Construction sites can make it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass through. Therefore, fire and ambulance accessibility should be considered when planning works on public roads.
All info & advice on this can be found on this page: Public road construction and roadworks sites
Public space design
The layout of streets and the way traffic is regulated have a significant impact on how quickly emergency services can reach the scene. Roadworks and traffic management plans can also affect the intervention times of emergency services.
Fire trucks with a turntable ladder (or aerial ladder platform) might have difficulty reaching the facades of buildings due to the street's layout. Therefore, it is important that any intervention in public spaces also takes into account access and passage for emergency services. This will enable them to respond swiftly and help keep everyone in the Brussels region safe.
All info & advice on this can be found on this page: Urban furniture and public space design
Do you need advice from the fire brigade? Contact us!
Please provide the following info when requesting advice [link to procedure page]:
- explanatory note on the project (including on the model used for the turning radius depicted on the plans);
- plan(s) of the existing situation;
- plan(s) of the planned situation;
- intersections of existing and planned mobility;
- existing and planned mobility plan.
Indicate on the plans the dimensions, turning radiuses, cross-sections and a legend of the facilities.