BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The Bakersfield City Fire and Police departments teamed up Wednesday to make sure drivers yield to emergency vehicles.

Both departments said many drivers in the area don't know what to do when they see an emergency vehicle en route to a call.

Drivers are supposed to pull over to the right if they see and hear vehicles, like fire trucks and patrol cars.

If that is not possible, drivers should stop, unless they are in an intersection, emergency officials said.

In that case, they should cross the intersection and then pull over to give way to the emergency vehicle.

All day, various fire trucks drove around town on calls with BPD patrol officers nearby observing the behavior of other drivers.

Fire and police officials said they're doing this to increase community awareness about what they should and shouldn't do when they see emergency vehicles.

Tickets can be issued if drivers fail to properly yield to emergency vehicles or if they follow them too closely, BPD officials said.

Drivers are supposed to stay at least 300 feet behind an emergency vehicle when that vehicle is responding to an emergency.