Marin Police, Firefighters Cite Parking Violations As Major Fire Hazards
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- The Marin County sheriff's office is worried about parked cars getting in the way of first responders in the event of a fire outbreak, and they're also worried about gaining access so that they can fight those fires.
The hillside streets in Marin County offer beautiful views, but they also offer hidden dangers when people park in the wrong spots.
Clearance issues have gotten so bad that the sheriff said parking enforcement has now become a top priority.
Law enforcement is cracking down on people who park poorly and/or illegally, which then makes it difficult -- if not impossible -- for fire trucks and other emergency responders to get up narrow hillside streets in Southern Marin.
Firefighters are patrolling areas in Marin, writing tickets for parking code violations. The county requires vehicles to allow a minimum of six feet clearance to the center line of the road. Residents said that this clearance can be a matter of life or death.
"If the ambulances and the fire departments were to say, 'Well, we just can't get there,' I think that's going to get a lot of peoples' attention," said Marin resident Charles Keppel.
"Recently, the Sheriff's Office has seen an increase in calls for service where residents feel cars are parked in an unsafe manner that would prevent fire and EMS personnel from responding to emergencies in their neighborhoods," said a Marin County deputy on a Nextdoor post.
Deputies will be in problem areas with their ticket books out.
