COLUMBIA COUNTY'S GROWTH SLOWS DOWN FIREFIGHTERS

Firefighters in Columbia County tell us extra traffic is hurting their response time. "Rush hour in Martinez, there's so many cars. We've seen it double in the last seven years," firefighter Trevor Byrd said.

And more cars, means more traffic for Trevor Byrd. He drives an 80,000 pound fire truck for Martinez- Columbia County Fire Rescue. "We try to always stay on the inside lane because it gives us a way out," Byrd said.

Even with a global positioning system on-board, responding to your call for help has recently become a lot more difficult thanks to traffic. It may only add a few extra minutes, but in this business every second counts.

"That much longer your stuck in traffic, that's that much bigger the fire is getting. If we can avoid going through the areas that we know are congested by taking another route that may be longer, you save time rather than dealing with the traffic," Byrd said.

Trevor says it's more than just congestion slowing him down, he points the finger at drivers. "A lot of times, people don't know what to do when we come up behind them. 80,000 pounds is a lot to stop," Byrd said.

Georgia's move-over law requires drivers to move-over one lane if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is parked on the shoulder. If you see an emergency vehicle behind you or coming at you, pull to the right.