The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
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
-
Permalink Reply by Damon Dyer on
-
Same here in Arkansas .
-
Permalink Reply by Captain George Gardiner on
-
In South carolina, The law is- Must be able to be seen 360 degrees, with lights on top of the vech or inside vech all around with a min 100 watt siren. now a lot of volunteers dont do it and the police dont do it... all volunters must remember its our vech and our lives.. I dont care if its a 100.00 dollar light on top of your car, BE SEEN AND HEARD, the more you have the better you are. Drive with duregaurd while responding, and get there, you are no good to me if something happens.. I have a light bar and led dash lights on my trucks and people still claim they did not see me.. STOP AT ALL STOP SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS, LOOK BOTH WAYS 2 OR 3 TIMES BEFORE GOING... Remember we all go HOME... REMEMBER THE CHARLESTON 9 AND ALL THAT HAVE FALLEN IN THE LINE OF DUTY.. thanks
-
Permalink Reply by Fire Capt. 1304 on
-
In iowa we are allowed blue for FF's, white for EMT's, or blue/white for FF/EMT's. No sirens or airhorns are allowed. We can have as many as we want anywhere we want. I have heard some different things about exceptions for red but I dont know how true they are.
-
Permalink Reply by jonathan on
-
i say that we should use green light
when we get a medical call sometimes i miss the Rescue van (ALONG with others)
and it would be nice for the public to be awer that someone is in need of help!
-
Permalink Reply by Jacob on
-
In West Virginia we can use sirens and red / white lights . You have to be off probation first and have "earned" the red light card.
-
Permalink Reply by CHIEF Al Porter on
-
I live in Michigan, the state law here allows us to run lights and sirens. We run red or red and white lights.
-
Permalink Reply by Brian Richards on
-
Texas law is the same as our department policy, you can run, red, blue, white, yellow, and a siren. They prefer all reds. Not one or the other. The lights must be visible 360 degrees around your vehicle and mounted on the highest point on your vehicle. And can run anything suplimental to this. You are not exempt from any traffic laws(including speed, lights, right of way, you get the point). Our department also requires that you are a driver on at least the rescue apparatus. Which means over 21, good driving record, completed approved VFIS driving course, 16 hours driving time with trainer after obtaining your class "B" driver's license, and at least 3 hot runs with trainer. After all of this, the captain, lieutenants(2), Asst. Chief, Safety officers(2), and board of trustees must all agree that you are an eligible to drive the apparatus on your own. Then you must apply to the department for permission to use and equip your vehicle with said approved lighting and siren. Same people must sign off on this as well.
-
Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on
-
Hello Brian,
Doubt if we are related but share the same last name. After I last posted on this forum I reread the Texas Trans codes again. This what I found. It's smart to augment the trans code with a FD policy to avoid problems. I hope it helps. TCSS
§ 541.201. VEHICLES. In this subtitle:
(1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means:
(D) a private vehicle of a volunteer firefighter
or a certified emergency medical services employee or volunteer
when responding to a fire alarm or medical emergency;
§ 546.001. PERMISSIBLE CONDUCT. In operating an
authorized emergency vehicle the operator may:
(1) park or stand, irrespective of another provision
of this subtitle;
(2) proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign,
after slowing as necessary for safe operation;
(3) exceed a maximum speed limit, except as provided
by an ordinance adopted under Section 545.365, as long as the
operator does not endanger life or property; and
(4) disregard a regulation governing the direction of
movement or turning in specified directions.
§ 546.005. DUTY OF CARE. This chapter does not relieve
the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle from:
(1) the duty to operate the vehicle with appropriate
regard for the safety of all persons; or
(2) the consequences of reckless disregard for the
safety of others.
§ 546.004. EXCEPTIONS TO SIGNAL REQUIREMENT. (a) A
volunteer fire fighter who operates a private vehicle as an
authorized emergency vehicle may engage in conduct permitted by
Section 546.001 only when the fire fighter is using visual signals
meeting the pertinent requirements of Sections 547.305 and 547.702.
§ 547.702. ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR
AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES. (a) An authorized emergency
vehicle may be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell
(c) Except as provided by this section, an authorized
emergency vehicle shall be equipped with signal lamps that:
(1) are mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally
as practicable;
(2) display four alternately flashing red lights, two
located on the front at the same level and two located on the rear at
the same level; and
(3) emit a light visible at a distance of 500 feet in
normal sunlight.
(d) A private vehicle operated by a volunteer firefighter
responding to a fire alarm or a medical emergency may, but is not
required to, be equipped with signal lamps that comply with the
requirements of Subsection (c).
(e) A private vehicle operated by a volunteer firefighter
responding to a fire alarm or a medical emergency may be equipped
with a signal lamp that is temporarily attached to the vehicle roof
and flashes a red light visible at a distance of at least 500 feet in
normal sunlight.
-
-
Thanks for the research/info. But there is a loop hole I see. It says nothing about NOT running blue, most in my department that have bars run red/blue and one yellow and some have the flashing takedowns in the front. I guess its good to see our department policy, sog's are more strict than the law. If we are seen by senior staff running a light or sign you can bet we will be on probation and or have our driving privileges revoked, if not more.
-
Permalink Reply by Randall Goodman on
-
same rules in michigan red with audible warning
-
-
Good point about the light color Brian. The people who wrote this code should work at the circus. There are sections that duplicate or contradict each other. You really have to read into it. Below, as I read it, blue and while are OK. Since another section read "may use red" that's what I have, 4 corner strobes plus our VFD only runs red on fire trucks with take downs and alley lights. TCSS
§ 547.305. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF LIGHTS.
(a) A motor vehicle lamp or illuminating device, other than a headlamp,
spotlamp, auxiliary lamp, turn signal lamp, or emergency vehicle or
school bus warning lamp, that projects a beam with an intensity
brighter than 300 candlepower shall be directed so that no part of
the high-intensity portion of the beam strikes the roadway at a
distance of more than 75 feet from the vehicle.
(b) Except as expressly authorized by law, a person may not
operate or move equipment or a vehicle, other than a police vehicle,
with a lamp or device that displays a red light visible from
directly in front of the center of the equipment or vehicle.
(c) A person may not operate a motor vehicle equipped with a
red, white, or blue beacon, flashing, or alternating light unless
the equipment is:
(1) used as specifically authorized by this chapter;
or
(2) a running lamp, headlamp, taillamp, backup lamp,
or turn signal lamp that is used as authorized by law.
(d) A vehicle may be equipped with alternately flashing
lighting equipment described by Section 547.701 or 547.702 only if
the vehicle is:
(1) a school bus;
(2) an authorized emergency vehicle;
-
Permalink Reply by Avery Dale on
-
In Alabama you can only have lights in stationary POV's. You cannot run anything to the scene but once you arrive you can turn on as many as you like as long as they are not blue. It is not neccesarily a law but if something happens while running lights to a call, no insurance will touch you.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
