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Local Emergency Light Laws
I was just wondering what the laws of your state say for POV's to have emergency lights and sirens. I live in Maine where we have very strict laws in reference to POV's and emergnecy lights, you can have two red or white lights in the grill OR 1 in the window if it is not obstructing your view. You have no special laws for responding and people do NOT have to pull over for you if they dont want. Also your not aloud sirens. I've been giving thought to moving to another state and I am hoping to see about your local rules and regulations.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dustin J. Millis on
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Indiana allows for a firefighter to use a blue light while respondingn to calls. People DO NOT have to pull over for you. You can have red lights on the rear of your vehichle. You can have place the lights just about anywhere you want but the law says people must be able to see the light 360 degrees around the vehichle
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Permalink Reply by Brian Richards on
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Yeah, I run a Whelen 9M ultra 12 strobe red/blue bar with directional in the rear. And a whelen BL627 siren and MPC01 multi switch lightbar and siren controller. I may be off on the number, haven't looked at it since I installed it. Federal BP100 speaker.
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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Sorry, Like I said I havnt seen the actual law but I have checked and was told you had to have 4 inch lettering identifieng yourself as an "emergency vehicle" on all sides of your vehicle is that true?
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on
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This is how it works in Ohio.
Vehicles used by volunteer firefighters and/or EMS personnel to respond to an emergency are referred to as “Public Safety Vehicles” in Ohio. To use a personal vehicle (POV) as a public
safety vehicle, all of the following conditions must be met:
1. The vehicle must be inspected annually at an inspection site approved by the fire department and following State set standards.
2. Current vehicle decals (issued annually) by the State Fire Marshal must be displayed.
3. Vehicle decals are issued at the request of the fire chief.
4. POV must be used in the fire district in accordance with departmental policy.
5. Lights and siren must be used while responding – the
driver is not exempt from laws; lights and siren are
“requesting” the right-of-way.
Information regarding Ohio’s laws governing the operation of
vehicles by emergency service personnel is located primarily in
Sections 4511.01(E)(3) and Chapter 4513 of the Ohio Revised
Code. The Code Sections can be found on the following website:
http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com
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Permalink Reply by Sandi Humphfres on
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Thanks for that piece of info.I had heard rumors that it was state wide,not just our department rules. I live close enough to the station so it was never an issue for me.
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Permalink Reply by mike on
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well here in kentucky you can have as many red and white lights as you want. and if you have lights you have to have a siren. you either run code three or nothing at all. and your not aloud blue because that is the police around here.
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Permalink Reply by Jake Stoffer on
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I moved to PA 2 years ago and I am still trying to get the final details on the lighting laws here. As another reply here says that in PA firefighters and EMS are allowed blue lights without siren. Chiefs and assistant chiefs are allowed red and have to have a siren. I believe that captains are allowed red as well, but i am sure that someone who knows more will be able to give more specifics on that. I was a firefighter in Michigan and I know that the lighting laws there are that any firefighter, EMS, whether vol. or paid can have red or red/white combination. It is also required by law there that when the lights are in operation with the vehicle in motion, an audible siren/warning device must be activated.
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Permalink Reply by Aaron Smith on
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Just today I learned we have to have RED 360 degree and a minimum of a 100 watt siren audible at 1000ft.
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Permalink Reply by Dewayne and Diana Bean on
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In Kentucky, a lot of it goes by what your department decides but at Grapevine after you have proved your drivin g ability and you have your lights wired and inspected by the chief we can run Code 3 with lights and sirens my dodge charger and my husband's Dodge Ram you can see and hear.
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Indiana allows the use of blue lights, pretty much as many as you want, wherever you want as long as it doesnt distract the driver. No sirens are allowed and people do not have to yield to you. Indiana calls the blue light a "courtesy light" meaning you are only asking other drivers to be courteous and let you pass. There is no breaking traffic laws and no speeding, although most cops will let you get away with it. You can use strobes in your four way flashers as emergency lighting including the use of flashing taillights
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Permalink Reply by Amber-23 on
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I'm with that one! In Oklahoma were not allowed anything either. But if we were, In this "you hurt me...so I'm fixin to sue you" Day in age, I still wouldn't use them. I don't want that kind of liability. If you are just in the fire service to put alot of expensive lights and sirens on your own personal vehicle or just to drive the big shiny red truck, than you need to re-evaluate the reasons why you are doing it. Especially if the only reason your moving out of state is because you can't use them.
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