Acceptance and Responsibility Attribution Toward Autonomous Ambulances Across Driving Conditions: A Preliminary Survey of Fire Service Personnel
Traffic incidents involving ambulances and fire engines during emergency-response driving can have serious consequences. Although autonomous driving technologies may reduce workload and improve safety, their introduction into emergency services requires consideration of first responders' trust, willingness to ride (WTR), and perceptions of responsibility. We surveyed 34 fire service personnel from a single fire station in Himeji, Japan, to examine their evaluations of autonomous ambulances and responsibility attribution under non-emergency and emergency driving conditions. Emergency driving was associated with lower perceived usefulness for improving safety, trust, and WTR, as well as greater anxiety. In contrast, responsibility attribution remained largely stable, with 30 participants ($88.2\%$) selecting the same primary responsible party across conditions and the onboard crew most frequently selected in both. Among these 30 participants, 26 ($86.7\%$) also assigned the same responsibility share. Open-ended responses revealed concerns about system reliability, the complexity of emergency driving, and the need for human judgment, as well as considerations regarding operator and organizational responsibility. These findings suggest that acceptance of autonomous ambulances is sensitive to driving conditions, while responsibility judgments may also reflect perceived professional roles and responsibilities.