Red Light Junkie

A red Light Junkie is a colloquial word for a volunteer fireman, or volunteer rescue worker whose primary motivation for their volunteerism is the adrenaline high from the call. This would be opposed the the vast majority of Fire and Rescue personnel who bravely volunteer for the good of others.

Overview
While this term may exist in all parts of the country, it is very prevalent in the rural, appalachian, southeast where many of the EMS and Fire Departments are volunteer. This term typically applies to people that are members of multiple departments. Within the sphere of firefighting, volunteers make up the majority of personnel. There exists a small number of volunteers that would do anything to be on scene all the time, these are the "Red Light Junkies".

The term has its origins in the fact that Police vehicles use blue lights, while Fire and EMS vehicles use only red lights (North Carolina Law). Volunteers of these departments are oftentimes allowed to use a red light in their personal vehicles.

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