TORONTO - Their sirens will still be blaring, but Burlington firefighters heading to a raging fire won't be accused of speeding.
Fire trucks must now obey city speed limits after the department noted a growing number of collisions over the past five years.
The new rules took effect June 1 and will continue on a trial basis until the end of September.
Although the move may seem counter-intuitive, the department believes it will be able to get to a fire within four minutes the majority of the time.
Fire prevention officer Ben Rotsma says the rules -- together with electronic transmitters that can change traffic light signals -- will save lives.
He says one-quarter of firefighters who die on the job are killed in crashes on their way to a blaze.
