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Chevrons on the rear of apparatus, your thoughts?
The 2009 version of NFPA 1901is going to mandate chevrons on the rear of apparatus, like they do in Europe. I think it's a great idea who's time has finally come. I'm sure many FF's and civilian's lives will be saved by this. We need to be visible out there. Some F.D's have been doing this for a while, (see the JPG below). What do you think?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by paul michael komandt on
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i have one phrase; EVERYONE GOES HOME ANYTHING TO HELP THE CAUSE GETS MY VOTE
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Permalink Reply by Chief 29 on
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It is a standard that we have to deal with and not a bad thing. One thought to ponder: When will it be mandatory to put them on the side of the apparatus due to the fact that turning the rigs out at an MVA is still the safest way to protect the scene and those of us operating in it? No matter what markings are were they are on the rigs I will continue to turn out and sacrifice the rig to protect myself and my men.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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Asst. 29 -- You make an excellent point. Perhaps a few years down the road, they will revise the standard to include hi-vis striping on the sides of apparatus. Food for thought. Stay safe!
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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It's not about who is cooler, it's about what is safer.
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Permalink Reply by Jon on
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We just purchased a new engine from Pierce that’s going to be delivered in Sept and From the Tailboard up its all Chevrons. All Engines from Pierce will have it standard. It’s Good By Me
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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on
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I feel that it's a good idea, remember, "safety is number One "
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Permalink Reply by Sune Schønnemann on
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I'm a european firefighter - in Denmark - and this I haven't seen on a Danish firetruck..
But they do use it alot in the UK
If we are on a call, the blue lights are on (blue is the only legal color for emergencyservices and police), and if we have to be parked somewhere on a road in the middle of the night, the lights go on as well.
The situations I know of where people have crashed in to a firetruck, or any other type of emergency vehicle, is primarily because they:
1. Are to busy looking at the accident to see what's happened
2. Think that they have a right to pass by, even though there's police and firefighters all over the place.
NOT because they can't see the vehicle.
But i support it - anything to make our job more safe!
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Tommy,
I can't dispute that tougher enforcement and a change in the driving culture in the U.S. would improve our safety when parked in the roadway, but that enforcement and culture change is beyond the ability of the fire service to implement, especially in the short term.
The chevrons make the apparatus more visible in a variety of lighting conditions - look at the photos earlier in this thread for examples. I can't see more visible apparatus as not improving safety. More visible apparatus means better chances that at least some of the innattentive drivers will see us earlier and be able to avoid striking the apparatus and firefighters working near it. Granted, there's no proof, but I think we should be willing to try things like this that are simple and relatively cheap.
Ben
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Tommy,
Thanks for the comments - sometimes I work in a little Devil's Advocacy in order to stimulate thought, but in this case, I believe that it makes things safer.
My department's experience with the improved roadway safety and visibility from the chevrons has been positive and immediate. (See Mick Mayer's photo on an earlier page in this thread)
If you purchase new NFPA compliant apparatus from now on, you'll get the chevrons, like them or not.
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The dots are designed as a stop-gap measure for apparatus that have vertical treadplate on the rear. There are sheets of the dots available so that the dots can be rolled onto the treadplate in rows similar to the solid stripes.
Granted, the dots aren't as visible as the solid stripes, but hit them with headlights, and they're a lot more visible than the treadplate.
New NFPA-compliant apparatus can't have vertical treadplate on the rear - it has to be a smooth surface to which the chevron stripes can adhere.
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We have the chevrons and a much-improved floodlight system on our new engines. The combination reduces the need for flashing warning lights at night while improving not only the civilian drivers' ability to see us, but our ability to see what we're doing.
In the daytime, the chevrons are way more visible than treadplate or red paint.
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Permalink Reply by Jodie Nolan on
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We had 2 work sessions at the station and put these on ourselves. They weren't that hard, and actually look pretty good! If they are believed to make our trucks safer, why wouldn't departments want to add them? Firefighters should lead by example and go the extra mile to make our jobs as safe as possible.
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