Volunteers with Red Lights

[helicopper 1,050]

Yawn... Lights and sirens on POV's AGAIN???

Great points about why NOT to have lights and a siren - not so compelling arguments for them.

Bottom line, an EMS provider in his/her own car can't transport and a firefighter in his/her own car can't put a fire out. So, what's the rush??

[Guest]

I FEEL THAT CHIEFS,CAPTAINS,AND LT'S SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO USE RED LIGHTS AND SIRENS. ALL THE COMMANDING OFFICERS. BUT THATS MY PERSONEL OPINION.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

So where do you draw the line then? There is not such thing as a "commanding officer" the first arriving person in the first arriving unit is "command" until he/she passes it to another person. Chief officers are chief officers, line officers are line officers. In their absence does that then mean a firefighter should have red lights and sirens?

[redmack 0]

Re: Lights

§ 375. Equipment. (NYS V&T Law)

41. Colored and flashing lights. The provisions of this subdivision

shall govern the affixing and display of lights on vehicles, other than

those lights required by law. 1. No light, other than a white light, and

no revolving, rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving white

light shall be affixed to, or displayed on any vehicle except as

prescribed herein.

2. Red lights and certain white lights. One or more red or combination

red and white lights, or one white light which must be a revolving,

rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving light, may be

affixed to an authorized emergency vehicle, and such lights may be

displayed on an authorized emergency vehicle when such vehicle is

engaged in an emergency operation, and upon a fire vehicle while

returning from an alarm of fire or other emergency.

Re: Sirens

§ 375. Equipment. (NYS V&T Law)

26. A gong or siren whistle shall not be used on any vehicle other

than an authorized emergency vehicle. This shall not be construed to

apply to a gong or siren designed and used solely as a burglar alarm on

a vehicle.

I have routinely enforced both of these sections. There is no need to have something on your vehicle that a layperson could construe as being an emergency warning device. I am a volunteer myself and I respect the use of courtest blue and green lights.

[helicopper 1,050]

Re: Lights

§ 375. Equipment. (NYS V&T Law)

41. Colored and flashing lights. The provisions of this subdivision

shall govern the affixing and display of lights on vehicles, other than

those lights required by law. 1. No light, other than a white light, and

no revolving, rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving white

light shall be affixed to, or displayed on any vehicle except as

prescribed herein.

2. Red lights and certain white lights. One or more red or combination

red and white lights, or one white light which must be a revolving,

rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving light, may be

affixed to an authorized emergency vehicle, and such lights may be

displayed on an authorized emergency vehicle when such vehicle is

engaged in an emergency operation, and upon a fire vehicle while

returning from an alarm of fire or other emergency.

4. Blue light. a. One blue light may be affixed to any motor vehicle

owned by a volunteer member of a fire department or on a motor vehicle

owned by a member of such person's family residing in the same household

or by a business enterprise in which such person has a proprietary

interest or by which he or she is employed, provided such volunteer

firefighter has been authorized in writing to so affix a blue light by

the chief of the fire department or company of which he or she is a

member, which authorization shall be subject to revocation at any time

by the chief who issued the same or his or her successor in office. Such

blue light may be displayed exclusively by such volunteer firefighter on

such a vehicle only when engaged in an emergency operation. The use of

blue and red light combinations shall be prohibited on all fire

vehicles. The use of blue lights on fire vehicles shall be prohibited

and the use of blue lights on vehicles shall be restricted for use only

by a volunteer firefighter except as otherwise provided for in

subparagraph b of this paragraph.

Re: Sirens

§ 375. Equipment. (NYS V&T Law)

26. A gong or siren whistle shall not be used on any vehicle other

than an authorized emergency vehicle. This shall not be construed to

apply to a gong or siren designed and used solely as a burglar alarm on

a vehicle.

I have routinely enforced both of these sections. There is no need to have something on your vehicle that a layperson could construe as being an emergency warning device. I am a volunteer myself and I respect the use of courtest blue and green lights.

Funny, it doesn't say anything in the law about alternating headlights, grill lights, corner and tail light strobes, and a full LED lightbar on the privately owned volunteers vehicle - and I am NOT referring to chiefs/officers/commanders/commandants/admirals. I'm talking about BLUE lights or GREEN lights.

They're courtesy lights and don't empower the user to do ANYTHING. They do not protect you from civil liability if you crash and insurance companies won't give a darn if you're volunteering your services for the benefit of the community. They're going to come after you to save themselves MONEY!!!

Despite all this, as was posted already, this thread will get up to 10 pages and training threads die a slow painful death. Where are our priorities?

[Bunkers 0]

Yawn... Lights and sirens on POV's AGAIN???

Chris192, Give it a month or two. It'll be back again..

[Goose 188]

Chris192, Give it a month or two. It'll be back again..

Yeah, but WHY?! Like Chris said, the important threads - those that teach, inform and provide for an exchange of ideas on salient topics - die quicker than they are posted. That's why I've found myself not visiting as often. Debating how much a volunteer can get away with in terms of transforming his Ford Ranger into a battle wagon dose nothing for me, nor do i care what light bars the state police use or what flashing sequence they use. There are so many more important things going on in public safety. I can think of a handful of things, regarding EMS in particular, that deserve an honest discussion. But, ihey, i know a full size light bar on a geo prisim is a lot cooler than a combi tube....

/rant off

[JohnnyOV 2]

TX and VT you are required to have a siren in your POV if you are displaying red and white lights, which is required if you are responding

[helicopper 1,050]

Chris192, Give it a month or two. It'll be back again..

Think it'll take that long?

[20Truck 7]

I FEEL THAT CHIEFS,CAPTAINS,AND LT'S SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO USE RED LIGHTS AND SIRENS. ALL THE COMMANDING OFFICERS. BUT THATS MY PERSONEL OPINION.

Have you met some of the local fire officers? I don't trust some of them to drive a razor scooter, let alone have ANY type of emergency light on their POV.

Lights should be limited to department owned vehicles.

[ex-commish 490]

I FEEL THAT CHIEFS,CAPTAINS,AND LT'S SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO USE RED LIGHTS AND SIRENS. ALL THE COMMANDING OFFICERS. BUT THATS MY PERSONEL OPINION.

I agree that Chief's who are in an authorized vehicle reckognized under the provisions of V+T law for emergency vehicles should have the red lights but how can you justify anyone else? Captain's and Lt's usually ride on the rigs so why the need for red lights?

I am not into the light thing but I do have an interesting observation about blue lights. The other day I was behind a dump truck on 9-A where all the construction is going on and on the back of the truck were blue flashing lights and the police car parked there for traffic also had blue lights on the back. I must say it caught my attention more so than other lights. Better call the blue light police

[Guest]

Here in Florida, in my department we are allowed to have 2 forward facing red lights in our POV. However, we must obey all traffic laws.

Rule of thumb, when responding to the station, if I come up to a traffic light or busy intersection and it is congested, I just shut the red light off. Its not going to get me there any quicker.

It is certainly a courtsey for people to move out of the way.

Now quick story, I was a member of EVAC in Eastchester for many years, they had a call come in, no crew was around, and I used my little green rotating light to get from Shore Road in New Rochelle to Chester Hights section of Eastchester. New Rochelle cops looked at me like what in the heck is wrong with this moron. But that was a long long time ago.

Yea, with lights or sirens comes responsability. We all know in Westchester County and every where else that there are individuals who buff out their cars illegally just to get the thrill. These are the individuals who give a bad name to all of us and create alot of the legal problems we have today with using lights in POV.

Personally I like to use my light, but with using the light comes great responsability. If I do something wrong at all I know that there will be a price to pay.

So please be responsible, not only are you liable, civally and legally, but you are a community represenative of your department. Your actions in your POV while responding or using your lights/sirens will reflect on your agency.

Be safe! Be Well!

[Guest]

All this talk about lights on POV how about lights on Bikes wether it be peddle bike or motor bike? Cops do LMAO