Lights on personal car

[Justin Gershon]

Hey just wonderin what kinda light systems you all have on your cars. In New York we can only have blue lights and we must obey all traffic laws (it sucks), on my car I have hide away strobes in my front and bcak waring flashers i have a single dash rotater and a mini light bar with a pair of rotaters and a pair of strobes in it (home made). and on the back deck i have a pair of warp speed strobes in a amber color box. all together i have 4 pairs of warp speed strobes and 3 rotaters. my car is very illegal. I was wonderin what kinda light systems u have on your car. Thanks

[HarrisonJR]

Justin I hope your question was posed so that you'll get an idea on how to make your car legal. A blue light is a privelege to have not a right as a volunteer firefighter and if you abuse it you not only make trouble for yourself but you make it rough on us out there who use them legally and wisely. DON'T BE STUPID with them!!!!! OK now I'll get off my soapbox and answer the question. I use a Code 3 mini bar on the roof and two alternating SHO-ME lights in the grille.

[Raptor557]

Use them only when you need them. Here in Texas, almost anything goes. I've seen a volly's truck with a FedSig AeroDynic.
Personnally, I want a fullsize 4-rotator SVP Impulse with takedown/flashers (can work as either), rear flashers, and alleys. Volly's use sirens down here too.

[e33]

HA...this entertains me. While I will admit to having warning lights concealed on my vehicle, I cannot tell you the last time I used them. I will not use them 95% of the time REGARDLESS of call type since they dont really save any time. If the warning lights on your car are the mainstay of your fire service/ems career...find a new profession please. With lights comes a tremendous responsibility.

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The opinions and views expressed herin are solely mine and not on the behalf of any department or organization I belong to.

[SNOWMAN]

I make it a point to stay away from these types of discussions. They usually end up going nowhere. I'll make an exception to my "rule" this one time to say that e33 hit the nail on the head!! Stay safe and above all...use LOTS of common sense.

[Captain88]

I have to agree with everyone that has replied. Be safe and think about what you're doing. Remember, you're just asking other people for the right of way when you do have your lights on. I have a full size strobe on my vehicle with a piercer center on it. When responding to the station I don't even use the light bar. I am a Captain on our department which requires me to respond directly to some scenes and there are times at MVA's that I will turn my red lights on just to slow traffic down. I only have the siren in my truck because in the state of Ohio it's the law that if you have a light you have to have a siren. In my opinion when the siren comes on your brain goes into overdrive.

[This message has been edited by Captain88 (edited January 02, 2000).]

[Aff]

I think Justin's car has more lights than our telesquirt! Besides, in Minnesota, if you are on the reds, you had better be making some noise, it's the law. And with 20 lawyers to each fire fighter, the liability is way to much.
Echoing e33, like all privleges, they come with responsibility.

Stay safe...
Mark

[Engine508]

Can you say WACKER!?!? I mean no offense but 1 or 2 lights should be efficient. But again if you have a large amount of traffic in your area and no one moves its ok to have more than 2 lights. Its a law in New Jersey your only allowed to have 2 lights on your vehicle and your not allowed to have red lights only blue. Only Fire,Ems,Police or OEM, are allowed to have red lights. No one really has blue lights in my town. Only a few guys have them. They are still good to have if you are responding from another town or something. Also we arent allowed to have sirens either, its the same requirements as the Red Lights. Most of the time we use Highbeams and Hazard lights usually do the trick. Also you use the Wig Wag Effect with your High Beams that works Really good. well everyone be safe

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Andrew
"You Go....We Go"

[Raptor557]

Seems to me, that in the north, regulations are a lot stricter than in the south. Although, most runs in rural areas here are code 2 (lights only). I agree, that common sense is the key. No use responding to an "Smoke Sighted" call code-3, causing an MVA and drawing personel away from a possible fire. Stay safe

[Chris Baker]

It is in my opinion that the running of red lights only makes you more open to litigation from the bloodsucking lawyers. Where I live in Maine it is a rural area. I have found that whenever the reds are on people have a tendency to do stupid things, both other drivers and the operator of the reds. I do have them but only for those rare circunstances

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[Raptor557]

If you need to move traffic, a pair of wig-wags and traffic-backers out of galls will work fine, very few people use them around here though

[RookieFireFighter]

Here in New Brunswick, Canada, it is illegal to have any type of warning device on your car if you are a volunteer firefighter. We don't even have special license plates (although this may change in the future), although we have the Maltese Cross decals for the front windshield. We are not permitted to speed to a call, pass cars (unless in a passing lane), or use four way flashers until we get to a scene so the person on traffic will let you by. We are only exempt from parking tickets during calls only.

[Tinylad]

I have to add my two cents to this also. When it comes to emergency lights you have a great responsibility. Use them with caution. Here in Pa we are allowed two rotating or flashing lights visible 360. However there are many who have others, myself included. I have a 2 strobe dash master and 4 corner strobes in my turnsignals. I also cannot tell you when I used them last. Most times the traffic is so bad it wont do any good anyway. Plus you tend to look stupid siting at a light for 2 or 3 cycles with your lights flashing. Also do ot use them in foul weather. People do funny things when they see emergency lights. We are in this business to help people not cause accidents.

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Be Safe All
Tiny

[Raptor557]

I agree, use them only when you REALLY NEED them. Someday they may save your life, or vice versa. An MVA scene on a cold dark night would be a good place. For example, the high school is on fire, as it actually did last year.

[smitheps]

Guys...lets be serious here! Why are you wasting your money on full strobe bars and hide-a-ways. I personally do not run any lights on my vehicle, but when I did, by single dash laser with a mirror on it got me to where I was going just as effiecently as you guys who have rolling christmas trees. Save your money and buy your girlfriend or wife something nice. Just remember if you are driving through town and make a bone-head manuver even while you are just out for groceries people will see that you have warning lights and your stupid move will be reflexted on the fire department...emergency or not...dont call attention to yourself if you dont have to.

[lt.jmp21]

right on. who needs a all those warnig lights any way. i use a single light. a dashlaser w/reflector mirror so the light doesnt blind me. and a FYI to any one who doesnt no NY state law says you can only run 1 light/or light bar and it must be visable. no strobes or hidden lights. it must rotate. also in my dept u must have ceen in the fire co at least 1 yr and have taken your essentials of firemanship/basic firefighter, before u can even think about runnig a blue light. and if u get caught w/ any thing illegal we pull your gear for 30 days and r put back on probation for 90 days. So dont be studip