What is the crash rate per 100,000 responses with lights & sirens?

• A. 4.6 per 100,000
• B. 6.1 per 100,000
• C. 5.5 per 100,000
• D. 3.9 per 100,000

Answer: (C)

Understanding this metric helps you gauge how risky it is to respond with lights and sirens. The crash rate per 100,000 responses is a standardized figure: you take the number of crashes that occur during responses with lights and sirens, divide by the total number of those responses, and multiply by 100,000. A rate of 5.5 per 100,000 means about 1 crash every 18,181 responses (100,000 ÷ 5.5 ≈ 18,181).

This value reflects that, while there is real risk in high-speed, priority driving, the overall rate remains relatively low when measured against all responses. If your agency handles, say, 60,000 such responses a year, you’d expect roughly 3.3 crashes annually (60,000 × 5.5/100,000 ≈ 3.3). The other numbers would imply notably different risk levels than these typical figures. So the best answer matches the commonly reported rate of 5.5 per 100,000.