Emergency lights on Personal vehicles

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Permalink Reply by John Mc. on September 1, 2007 at 11:27am

sounds like NJ even though a lot of guys who aren't chief or used to be chief are still using red and white lights with a siren

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Permalink Reply by Jake (Berny) on October 27, 2007 at 11:31pm

Here in Jamestown, ND... we are allowed a blue light which I have on my dash. (Has a magnet for roof mounting, but I always just leave it on the dash.) When responding to a page we are allowed to go 10mph over the posted limit, but required to obey all other traffic laws. (Which is just safe anyways.)

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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on October 28, 2007 at 11:33am

I like to think that we are using available resources to get to a scene more SAFELY!
I dismiss the idea of wanting to get there more QUICKLY. You can drive like a maniac without any warning lights whatsoever and you are going to get there more quickly. However; a cop will be along shortly to arrest you for reckless driving, speeding, disobeying a traffic device and whatever else the other motorists complain about.
You don't get lights on your POVs to get there quicker. You are doing so to create visibility. You are doing so to grab the attention of the motoring public IN THE HOPE that they will YIELD to you. That is how you get there quicker. You don't TAKE IT. You ASK FOR IT. And if they don't give you "permission", then you can't do it. It's that simple.
Whether you realize it or not, your department is measured on a litany of criteria and how you operate your vehicles, whether department or POV, is one of them.
Even though I could have red, I had a blue light. And I used restraint when driving.
Art

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Permalink Reply by Jake (Berny) on October 28, 2007 at 2:00pm

Art - you are certainly correct. Some notice the blues, some don't. It was put to me once "the public is always watching."

So I most certainly agree, driving like a maniac and ticking people on your way to the hall, is a good way to give the dept a bad rep.

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Permalink Reply by Dave on October 30, 2007 at 5:13pm

In Alaska we're allowed blue lights in any direction in any combination except red. We're not allowed to have sirens (which needs to be changed), so some of us have electric airhorns, etc.

Before we can run blue lights here we have to pass a certified driver course, have some kind of medical training and carry a permit from the chief of the department. We're required to follow most traffic laws, with some exceptions made (IE we can do a maximum of +10 over the posted speed limit).

We have all kinds of configurations for POV's here: some guys have full size light bars, some have undercover LED's, teardrops, etc.

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Permalink Reply by James Quagliano on November 1, 2007 at 12:35am

Here in Colorado we can run any color except blue, and must be visible 360. We need to have a permit issued by the state patrol to display the lights, and you MUST have an audio warning device of some type (siren). Heres a picture of my truck. I have even started a buisiness installing this type of equipment. Check it out at www.lightstarindustries.com

Attachments:

• my truck.JPG, 1.5 MB

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