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.
Well in my town in wyoming we are allowed red and clear, no rules on how many just have to have something at the grill level and one in the windshield. As for sirens, we can run them. In my veh i have 2 sirens, a whelen alpha12m mechanical tone and a carson volunteer remote, mainly so i can run the mechanical all the time and then run another tone with them.
Also here people have to pull over for volunteers responding. As soon as you turn on your lights and sirens you become an emergency veh and the public has to treat it as such.
In CT we can run blue and white lights. we can have as many as we want and wherever we want we have to obey all driving laws but the cops around my area don't mind if we speed, run red lights officers get red lights and the chiefs get sirens the cool thing about my department is if you are 16 you can have lights and our chief doesn't care if we have a siren as long as we don't get caught
Taken from "SafeNY.com" website it explains what New York State authorizes. YEAH RIGHT!
Blue light. a. One blue light may be affixed to any motor vehicle owned by a volunteer member of a fire department or on a motor vehicle owned by a member of such person's family residing in the same household or by a business enterprise in which such person has a proprietary interest or by which he or she is employed, provided such volunteer firefighter has been authorized in writing to so affix a blue light by the chief of the fire department or company of which he or she is a member, which authorization shall be subject to revocation at any time by the chief who issued the same or his or her successor in office. Such blue light may be displayed exclusively by such volunteer firefighter on such a vehicle only when engaged in an emergency operation. The use of blue and red light combinations shall be prohibited on all fire vehicles. The use of blue lights on fire vehicles shall be prohibited and the use of blue lights on vehicles shall be restricted for use only by a volunteer firefighter except as otherwise provided for in subparagraph b of this paragraph.
b. In addition to the red and white lights authorized to be displayed pursuant to paragraph two of this subdivision, one or more blue lights or combination blue and red lights or combination blue, red and white lights may be affixed to a police vehicle, provided that such blue light or lights shall be displayed on a police vehicle for rear projection only. In the event that the trunk or rear gate of a police vehicle obstructs or diminishes the visibility of other emergency lighting on such vehicle, a blue light may be affixed to and displayed from the trunk, rear gate or interior of such vehicle. Such lights may be displayed on a police vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in an emergency operation. Nothing contained in this subparagraph shall be deemed to authorize the use of blue lights on police vehicles unless such vehicles also display one or more red or combination red and white lights as otherwise authorized in this subdivision.
c. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations relating to the use, placement, power and display of blue lights on a police vehicle.
In Pennsylvania all firefighters can run Blue lights with no sirens. You can have as many as you want and wherever you want as long as you have one that is visible 360 degrees. The only restriction on who specifically can run a light is that anyone wishing to run a light must have a signed card from their chief giving them permission to do so. All Asst. Chiefs and the Chief can run Red. If you run red you must have a siren as well. It is obviously not required to run a light. A blue light is considered a courtesy light and other motorists are not required to move over and you must obey all traffic laws. All emergency vehilcles must obey all traffic laws including coming to a complete stop at all traffic lights and stop signs before proceeding through. This includes fire apparatus and ambulances. (It doesnt mean it is inforced or followed but it technically is the law). I am a Lt. and still choose not to run a light at all due to the sue-happy nation we live in today. The less attention i draw to myself while responding the better. And I never seem to have much of a problem.
Ok I live in Missouri and have seen every color under the rainbow run by volunteers around the state. In my Dept I just got promoted to Asst Chief big jump from a Emt/firefighter/reportwriter lol......
Anyway im looking for the statue or anything official like stating that officers can legally run reds on Povs my chief
says we can but i want something official before changing some colors on my lightbar on my truck I get along verywell with the highway patrol in my area and dont want to step on anytoes if yall know what i mean
thanx for any help
Steve A
Jenkins Fire Protection District-
WE ARE NOT CHIEF OR ASST OR DEPUTY WE ARE FIREFIGHTER IS WOULD BE DUMBASS MOVE FOR PA LAW PASS LAW AT FIREFIGHTER BLUE LIGHT AND SIRENS I KNOW SOME FIREFIGHTER AT DRIVE LIKE NUT TO FIRE WITH BLUE LIGHT
THE DOORKICKER
You forgot one thing, you must also have a siren, air horn or exhaust whistle that can be heard for 300' . Unless things have changed, that is the law in Texas.
Yes, I've heard about that process. But our Chief says no to all (except his vehicle of course) and then we dont have enough people show up in time to make it out with the first engine in the event that we have a major fire. the rest of whoever shows at the station just sits and waits and by the time the necessary manpower is onscene, the fire's done more damage than it could have if we'd have had enough people to organize an attack. normally only 3, maybe 4 go out and then we have to call mutual aid... I think that by authorizing the use of lights and siren on POVs, we could have a better first response to the station. Of course we would probably need to put everyone thru an EVOC course. Some would need an extensive EVOC course to beat it into their head that they HAVE GOT TO PAY ATTENTION when driving with lights and siren....