GENERAL ORDERS LINCOLN POLICE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: GENERAL OPERATIONS
TITLE: EMERGENCY/NON-EMERGENCY RESPONSE
EFFECTIVE DATE: AUGUST 1, 2025
REVISION DATE:
ACCREDITATION: ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE (AACOP)
APPROVAL: CHIEF SCOTT BONNER
Embedded Files
EMERGENCY/NON-EMERGENCY RESPONSE
309.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy provides officers with guidelines for the safe and appropriate vehicular response to emergency and non-emergency incidents or requests for assistance, whether these are dispatched or self-initiated.
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309.2 POLICY
It is the policy of this department to appropriately respond to emergency and non-emergency calls for service or requests for assistance, whether these are dispatched or self-initiated.
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309.3 RESPONSE TO CALLS
Officers responding to non-emergency calls shall proceed accordingly, unless they are sent or redirected to a higher priority call, and shall obey all traffic laws.
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309.3.1 EMERGENCY CALLS
Officers responding to an emergency call shall proceed immediately as appropriate and shall continuously operate the emergency vehicle lighting and siren as required by law (Ala. Code § 32-5A-7).
Officers should only respond to a call as an emergency response when so dispatched or when circumstances reasonably indicate an emergency response is required. This includes, but is not limited to:
(a) When in pursuit or apprehending a violator or suspected violator.
(b) When responding to a reported emergency involving possible personal injury, death or significant property damage.
(c) When immediate assistance is requested by an officer or other law enforcement agency.
If an officer believes an emergency response to any call is appropriate, the officer shall immediately notify the communications officer.
Officers not responding to a call as an emergency response shall observe all traffic laws and proceed without the use of emergency lights and siren.
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309.4 REQUESTING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
When requesting emergency assistance, the involved department member should reasonably believe there is an imminent threat to the safety of him/herself or another person, or that assistance is needed to prevent imminent serious harm to the public.
If circumstances permit, the requesting member should provide the following information:
Identifying call sign
Location of the emergency situation
Suspect information, including weapons
Reason for the request and type of emergency
The number of officers or resources required
Hazards and any known or potential dangers for responding officers
In any event where a situation has stabilized and emergency response is not required, the requesting member shall immediately notify the communications officer.
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309.5 SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
Responding with emergency lights and sirens does not relieve the operator of an emergency vehicle of the duty to continue to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and property, and does not protect the operator from the consequences of reckless disregard for the safety of others. However, the officer may when responding to a call with an emergency response, and provided there is no endangerment or unnecessary risk to persons and property (Ala. Code § 32-5A-7):
Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation.
Exceed the speed limit.
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
Park or stand in the roadway.
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309.5.1 NUMBER OF OFFICERS ASSIGNED
The number of officers assigned to respond to an emergency call or request for assistance should be limited to that which is reasonably necessary.
An emergency response involving more than one police vehicle should be coordinated by Communications to avoid any unanticipated intersecting of response routes. The communications officer shall notify the Watch Commander or field supervisor, who will make a determination regarding the appropriateness of the response and reduce or enhance the response as warranted.
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309.6 EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT
Vehicles not equipped with emergency lights and siren are prohibited from initiating or joining in an emergency response. Officers in such vehicles may provide support to pursuing vehicles as long as the vehicles are operated in compliance with all traffic laws. Those officers should terminate their involvement in any emergency response immediately upon arrival of a sufficient number of emergency law enforcement vehicles.
If the emergency equipment on the vehicle should fail to operate, the officer must terminate the emergency response and continue accordingly. The officer shall notify the Watch Commander, field supervisor or the communications officer of the equipment failure so that another officer may be assigned to the emergency response.
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309.7 OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES
The decision to initiate or continue an emergency response is at the discretion of the officer. If, in the officer's judgment, the weather, traffic and road conditions do not permit such a response without unreasonable risk, the officer may elect to respond to the call without the use of emergency lights and siren at the legal speed limit. In such an event, the officer should immediately notify the communications officer. An officer shall also discontinue an emergency response when directed by a supervisor or as otherwise appropriate.
Upon receiving authorization or determining that an emergency response is appropriate, whenever practicable, an officer shall immediately give the location from which he/she is responding.
The first officer arriving at the emergency call should determine whether to increase or reduce the level of the response of additional officers and shall notify the communications officer of his/her determination. Any subsequent change in the appropriate response level should be communicated to the communications officer by the officer in charge of the scene unless a supervisor assumes this responsibility.
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309.8 COMMUNICATIONS
When information reasonably indicates that the public is threatened with serious injury or death, or an officer requests emergency assistance and immediate law enforcement response is needed, the communications officer shall assign an emergency response and ensure acknowledgement and response of handling and assisting officers. In all other circumstances, the communications officer shall obtain authorization from the Watch Commander or a field supervisor prior to assigning an emergency response.
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309.8.1 RESPONSIBILITIES
Upon notification or assignment of an emergency response, the communications officer is responsible for:
(a) Confirming the location from which the officer is responding or requesting assistance.
(b) Attempting to assign the closest available assisting officers to the location of the emergency call.
(c) Continuing to obtain and broadcast information as necessary concerning the response and monitoring the situation until it is stabilized or terminated.
(d) Notifying and coordinating allied emergency services (e.g., fire, emergency medical services).
(e) Notifying the Watch Commander as soon as practicable.
(f) Controlling all radio communications during the emergency and coordinating assistance under the direction of the Watch Commander or field supervisor.
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309.8.2 RESPONSE TO CALLS NOT INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS
When communications receive a call and there is a question as to whether or not the caller is within the city limits, the communication officer shall not advise the caller they are not in the City of Lincoln. An officer is to be dispatched immediately to the call and he/she, along with the communications officer on duty, will make the determination if the location is inside the city limits. If the location is not within the city limits, the officer shall stand by on the scene, until an appropriate agency responds.
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309.9 SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Upon being notified that an emergency response has been initiated or requested, the Watch Commander or the field supervisor shall verify that:
(a) The proper response has been initiated.
(b) No more than those officers reasonably necessary under the circumstances are involved in the response.
(c) Affected outside jurisdictions are being notified as practicable.
The field supervisor shall monitor the response until it has been stabilized or terminated and assert control by directing officers into or out of the response, if necessary. If, in the supervisor's judgment, the circumstances require additional officers to be assigned an emergency response, the supervisor may do so.
It is the supervisor's responsibility to terminate an emergency response that, in his/her judgment, is inappropriate due to the circumstances.
When making the decision to authorize an emergency response, the Watch Commander or the field supervisor should consider:
The type of call or crime involved.
The type and circumstances of the request.
The necessity of a timely response.
Weather, traffic and road conditions.
The location of the responding officers and the location of the incident.
These policies and operating procedures are not designed to cover every possible scenario or situation in society, but rather to define standard operating procedures for members of the Lincoln Police Department. These guidelines are subject to past, present and future judicial review. These guidelines can be amended and or repealed by the Chief of Police as necessary. The policies and procedures herein provided supersede all previous policies and orders.
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