Portable Lighting

[16fire5 693]

In how many places does the chauffeur (driver) routinely set up lighting so the crew can overhaul if the power has been cut? I think it is something that was traditionally always done by ladder chauffeurs. Ladder companies always had generators and the Circle D lights. Now lots of places get generators on all their rigs but aside from powering all the fancy lights on the rig how many times is the cord pulled into the building? This kind of stuff was a given but I think it is dying off. Flash lights are good but lighting is important especially if the investigators are comming.

While on the topic what do you use? I hear there is a trend to buy the work lights at Lowes or Home Depot since they are very cheap. Never thought of it but I have a set for work around the house and they're great but maybe not durable for banging around in the rig.

[x635 4,066]

I was thinking the same thing. Seems like there is much more emphasis on warning lights.

IMO, firegrounds should be lit up as much as possible, bring daylight with you. It does seem, in the past, that there were trucks dedicated to lighting. A lot of new deliveries nowadays have brow lights and other fixed LED scene lighting which are bright, but don't always do the job, i.e. the back of the building.

When I was an MPO, I always made sure I did everything I could to light up the scene. That was how I was taught.

And, I believe every apparatus should have a light tower. They make varieties to fit every application nowadays. It seems like around me, a lot of new engines are being delivered with light towers, removable/repositonable LED light stands, and cord reels on both sides.

I don't like the halogen lights (anymore), because they get so hot they are likely to start their own fire. I've got to give props to the next generation, the Whelen Pioneer LED, probaly the brightest scene light I've ever seen, and it comes in both fixed and portable versions.

And props to Yorktown FD, which aqquired a construction style self contained lighting trailer, so when some of the apparatus leaves, the light doesn't.

[mricorp 12]

I would sit tight on this subject for another year or so. I know that at least a few of the emergency lighting companies are focusing on scene (or white) lighting and I think we will see tremendous strides in low current super bright scene lighting (fixed and portable) over the next few years.