72 replies to this topic

[Fred03]

Well one thing I've noticed is when the lights go on the IQs go down all over, the POV drivers are excited and the other drivers always do the worse thing possible. I've had people come to a dead stop in front of me, swerve all over and do all kinds of other dumb things when I have my lights on, and I was always taught (by my department anyway) that no matter what they do its my responsibility to make sure I don't wreck and my fault if I do.

[EmergencyFan97]

Some updates for SC:

 

Light color: Red, white, and blue are legal.  Common sense dictates that blue is not used, as blue is exclusively used on police vehicles here by tradition.

Lights:  Visibility must be 360 degress by law, but this is often overlooked as long as you have front, rear, and intersection lights.  Most chiefs require lights on the highest point of the car, aka, an exterior light.

Siren: Anything.  So long as it makes sound.  We're authorized to use bells, whistles, sirens, and horns.  (literally).  I know of many people (not just FFs) that have train horns on their POV.  Mostly for the shiggles.

 

You are also required to be interior-certified to run lights (or a first responder).  Department chiefs are allowed to impose whatever restrictions they like, to include no lights at all, etc.  My department requires you to not run lights until 17, regardless of certification.  A neighboring department requires you to be 17, interior-certified, and disallows code 3 response to AFAs and brush fires w/o endangered structures.  Many chiefs also require a class on POV Response.

[youdotoo]

Train horns, you say? That could be interesting. 

[Fred03]

I know many places have the laws written so as to include all kinds of weird things, I think its Missouri that allows a "addible warning device" and allows "bells, sirens, horns and exhaust whistles".

[Newfoundking]

Here the law states the same, Bells, Horns, or Train whisltles can be used in addition to an audible warning device, commonly known as a siren. This is more of an old time thing, just not written out

[AgentSmith6]

I was just down in Kentucky a few weeks ago, it seemed like all of the vollies had red lights but I'm not sure about sirens to be honest

[Newfoundking]

Yep, you did, that's the law down there. It Shall display the lights. Not may, so chiefs of departments can't limit it, they've gotta run them

 

http://www.lrc.ky.go...e.aspx?id=39895

[MikeyPI]

I shall display so many lights that a plane SHALL try to land on the interstate in front of me

[Fred03]

You would get along well with some of the guys in my area with that attitude...

[Marshall8946]

Here in Ohio, volunteers can have red/white for the front; Amber/red for the rear. Sirens must be "Society of Automotive Engineers" (SAE) approved. Neither lights or sirens are required to be a volunteer. But you cannot have a siren, and no lights. Each vehicle must pass an inspection to be considered a public safety vehicle. The requirements can be found here. Once passed, the person will be issued a sticker to be placed on the vehicle.

 

Opinion on lights.

Lighting should not be excessive, but not be too little. You want traffic to see you, but not be blinding or look more light a decorative vehicle and not be taken seriously. Most guys on my department just run with one lightbar or mini lightbar. I'm not too sure, but I know most of them have a siren. Some typically just dont run with a siren on.

My current non emergency lights are: Amber rear lights(more like a directional but not one), white/amber dash light in the front, custom automotive lights for the side hood and front bumper(light blue kind of like HID colored lights, they have many optional patterns or can be left on steady(my driving lights)), and small custom white led lights on the side front bumper(I call intersection lights).

The nice thing about my lights, once my vehicle goes through inspection, I can swap out the dash light to a red/white one and already be set. Or keep both up there.

 

My opinion on cameras.

Personally in my vehicle, I have a dash camera that is always on. Whether I'm just out cruising or responding I always have it running. I also use a small GoPro camera just because or as a backup. I plan on getting a rear camera as well. I recommend a vehicle camera for anyone. If you get into an accident it can easily show who is at fault. Scamming in my area has become a higher concern. As well, for volunteers we cannot drive crazy and barrel through intersections to respond. So if anyone were to say we drove reckless, my camera would show otherwise. I noticed too that police officers like to spot volunteers responding(not in my area). If they were arise a concern on our responding, you now have video proof. My camera was only $20 and works perfectly! I've been using it for over a year now.

 

The topic of responding to the scene directly was brought up. It all depends on the department. I noticed some do have volunteer medics go directly to the scene if they have their gear with them on their POV. My department does not allow this, we must go directly to the station.

[MikeyPI]

Sadly for me I notice most vehicles are now light farms, once upon a time one was planted in the dashboard area, maybe the grille, and unfortunately just like pollen the wind spreads them across the car to where there isnt a single facet that is not loaded with the friggin things anymore.  In my opinion the corner alley/intersection lights in the primary turn signal cells and/or on the pushbumper serve a purpose, as does forward and rearward emergency lighting (within reason), but when you get into lighting up the whole upper deck of the windshield, along with grille lights, along with wig-wags, along with intersection/alleys in the turn signals, along with mirror lights, you've way crossed the line to obnoxiously lit.  My vehicle just has a simple flatlighter on the visor, grille leds hidden nicely by the chrome, and strobing reverse lights, if that aint enough light then my obnoxious siren should get the point across, if not there is always the airhorn function, electronic though it may be it is still dangerously loud.  IMO the quantity of lights does NOT improve visibility, if a moron isnt going to see you with minimal lighting, he sure aint going to see through the haze of blinding LEDs all over some of these newer cars.

[firefighter111]

I'm not sure about the whole green light thing, it seems a odd color for emergency lights. I'm aware that where people are used to it things might be different but if I was driving along and saw flashing green lights ahead of me on the road it wouldn't have the same "oh that's a emergency vehicle" response as red or blue lights would. The same thing applies for white lights which is one of the arguments I've heard against them even though they can be seen from a greater distance.

Agreed, especially since a green light is now used to detonate a command post. NY uses green for volunteer EMS. Back to the vffs, any volunteer emt, including VFD based ems, in NY can get their vehicle certified as a NYS DOH certified emergency vehicle (requires stocking the vehicle to NYS DOH health code part 800) and run red lights and siren as an emergency vehicle.

[Newfoundking]

You would get along well with some of the guys in my area with that attitude...

Here's the thing. Your acquaintance is a whacker, Mike just does it because he can. You know the saying give an inch, they take a mile? They're still working on a unit of measurement for how much Mike will take when presented