“Public safety trumps everything else,” Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Commissioner Clyde Norita said in response to the parking concerns of business operators in Garapan affected by the fire-lane regulations that will be implemented on Feb. 26, 2018.
In a meeting with them at Fiesta Resort & Spa on Tuesday afternoon, Norita said his department must comply with the fire-lane law. One business operator who runs a transport service is concerned that he might be cited just for dropping off and picking up customers at guest houses in Garapan.
For active loading and off-loading, Norita said, “you can stop and use your hazard lights — you cannot be cited for that.”
He added, “While fire lanes may interfere with some people’s parking, it goes back to what I said earlier, safety trumps convenience. We want our fire trucks to be able to move into those roadways and respond effectively to emergencies.”