Salisbury First Responders Urge Drivers to Stay Right

New PSA video highlights importance of clearing the road for emergency vehicles

Apr. 10, 2026 at 5:08am

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A high-contrast, silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeated pattern of a flashing emergency vehicle siren in neon colors, conceptually representing the importance of yielding to first responders.A bold visual reminder to drivers to clear the way for emergency vehicles, as first responders work to improve safety and response times in Salisbury.Salisbury Today

Salisbury's fire, police, and rescue departments have collaborated on a new public service announcement video to remind drivers in Rowan County, North Carolina to move to the right and clear the road when emergency vehicles with lights and sirens are approaching. The video features first responders emphasizing that this is a federal law to protect both emergency personnel and other drivers, and that failure to do so can lead to unsafe situations and delayed response times.

Why it matters

Distracted driving and increased traffic in the area have led to more incidents of drivers not yielding to emergency vehicles, which puts first responders and the public at risk. This collaborative video aims to educate the community and improve safety on the roads.

The details

The one-minute PSA video includes Salisbury Fire Department, Salisbury Police Department, and Rowan County EMS personnel urging drivers to move to the right when they hear or see an approaching emergency vehicle. City Manager Jim Greene noted that firefighters had brought this issue to the city's attention, citing instances of fire trucks having to swerve to get around uncooperative drivers. The video was produced by Madison McCorkle, a senior administrator at the Salisbury Fire Department.

  • The video was created about six months ago after Salisbury firefighters brought the issue to city staff.
  • The video was officially released and shared with the public on April 7, 2026.

The players

Jim Greene

The Salisbury City Manager who discussed the importance of the video and the need to educate the public on this issue.

Bob Parnell

The Salisbury Fire Chief who commented on the collaborative nature of the project and the increasing challenges first responders face with distracted and uncooperative drivers.

Madison McCorkle

A senior administrator at the Salisbury Fire Department who helped create the PSA video.

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What they’re saying

“It's unsafe if that's not happening. I've seen many times a fire truck have to swerve over, so it's not safe for police and fire, rescue squad members. But it's also not safe for the public. It can lead to accidents.”

— Jim Greene, Salisbury City Manager

“With the rise in distracted driving, the increased traffic that we're seeing … and just the weird things that happen in front of us as we're responding down the road, we're encountering more drivers that either don't know or don't do what they should do when being approached by an emergency vehicle.”

— Bob Parnell, Salisbury Fire Chief

What’s next

The city plans to continue sharing the PSA video on social media and through other community outreach efforts to ensure Salisbury and Rowan County drivers are aware of their legal obligation to yield to emergency vehicles.

The takeaway

This collaborative video project between Salisbury's first responder agencies highlights an important public safety issue that impacts both emergency personnel and regular drivers. By educating the community, the city hopes to improve response times and prevent accidents caused by uncooperative or distracted motorists.