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wisconsin law concerning lights and sirens
Can anyone tell me what the DOT says about lights and sirens in personal vehicals. Do we need a siren if we have a light or is just a light acceptable??
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chad Franks on
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Sorry, Wisconsin!
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Wisconsin and the use of Lights and Sirens...
Your state has a link and information for firefighters that covers your question(s) titled, Wisconsin Fire Service Guidebook. It has been attached below or your review and use.
This key section of this booklet covers your question:
Emergency Response With Private Vehicles
The Wisconsin State Statutes explicitly address emergency response by authorized persons using private vehicles. An accident involving a private vehicle responding to an emergency can pose significant liability to the operator, fire department, and municipality.
(ss. 340.01 (3) (d) Wis. Stats) Definition: privately owned motor vehicles being used by ... personnel of a full time or part-time fire department or by members of a volunteer fire department while enroute to a fire or on an emergency call pursuant to orders of the chief or other commanding officer.
Municipality and/or Fire Department Responsibilities
• Establish a policy with a standard operating guideline or resolution that addresses the process of approving emergency response via a private vehicle if such use is not prohibited by other department policy.
• Provide a program to assure responsibility and insure that emergency vehicle operators know the laws relating to operation of emergency vehicles including any policy on use of personal vehicles to respond to emergencies. Have all personnel sign the training form indicating that s/he has received the training and understands the policy and rules.
• Verify that the owner/operator of a private vehicle approved to respond to an emergency has a valid drivers’ license and adequate vehicle insurance.
• Give Class 2 notice of intent (under Chapter 985) at least 90 days before equipping the first vehicle with pulsating headlamps. [Note: (ss. 347.25 (1), Wis. Stats.) Police vehicles, fire equipment, and ambulances are authorized to operate with pulsating or flashing high beam headlamps.]
Note: This point is the most important, and should give you pretty good direction as far as using lights and sirens on your personal vehicle.
How Insurance Companies May View Emergency Response in Private Vehicles
Many insurance policies written for conventional automobile insurance do not include coverage of private vehicles for emergency response nor do they recognize them as authorized emergency response vehicles.
Wisconsin Vehicle Code
The provided download, Stat0347 contains the vehicle code laws for your state that outline when and how to use lights and sirens. Go to section:
• 347.38 Horns and warning devices.
• 347.385 Auxiliary lamps on emergency vehicles; traffic control signal emergency preemption devices.
Note: Your state has a very strict guideline on the use of Code 3 appurtenances, that include lights and sirens. An association published a few years back guidelines for the use of red lights and sirens for emergency vehicle operations that I found to be informative and applicable.
The use of red lights and siren should be reduced as much as possible including during normal conditions on an interstate highway. Transporting patients to the hospital using red lights and siren should be reserved only for the most critical patients in whom a life-saving or sustaining intervention will be performed at the destination hospital within minutes of the patient’s arrival. Most ambulance services should be able to limit their use of red lights and siren during transportation to 10% or less. During the response phase, EMS organizations should take every opportunity to downgrade their response to non-emergency whenever reliable information from the scene is available to support this decision. When multiple vehicles are responding to the same location, the first vehicle on scene should attempt to provide response directions to all other responders as soon as possible. A non emergent response should be completed for all calls in which the patient is deemed to be stable either through dispatch information or information relayed from first responders on the scene.
Wisconsin EMS Association
21332 7 Mile Rd. Franksville, WI 53126-9769
1-800-793-6820
www.WisconsinEMS.com
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WEMSAEmergencyVehicleOperations.pdf, 21 KB -
Stat0347.pdf, 148 KB
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call me stupid but i can't find anything that says if you have a emergency light than you must have a siren or you can have an emrgency light only!? sorry if i'm just mssing it here!!
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I believe the discussion is moot because:
State of Wisconsin Auto Insurance Providers: Many insurance policies written for conventional automobile insurance do not include coverage of private vehicles for emergency response nor do they recognize them as authorized emergency response vehicles.
So... you still planning on using your personal vehicle to drive Code 3?
Risk vs. Gain...
CBz
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hmm good thought! thanks for the help!!
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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Mike said many insurance policies don't include the coverage, not all.
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My quote was take directly from the Wisconsin State Fire Service Guidebook, June 2010 that specifically addresses this issue. This is not to say that other states will be this strict, but it looks like the state of Wisconsin has some very strong opinions about the subject...
The good news is that this document gives you pretty good direction, with the siren component left out...
Emergency Response With Private Vehicles
The Wisconsin State Statutes explicitly address emergency response by authorized persons using private vehicles. An accident involving a private vehicle responding to an emergency can pose significant liability to the operator, fire department, and municipality.
(ss. 340.01 (3) (d) Wis. Stats)
Definition: privately owned motor vehicles being used by ... personnel of a full time or part-time fire department or by members of a volunteer fire department while enroute to a fire or on an emergency call pursuant to orders of the chief or other commanding officer.
Municipality and/or Fire Department Responsibilities
• Establish a policy with a standard operating guideline or resolution that addresses the process of approving emergency response via a private vehicle if such use is not prohibited by other department policy.
• Provide a program to assure responsibility and insure that emergency vehicle operators know the laws relating to operation of emergency vehicles including any policy on use of personal vehicles to respond to emergencies. Have all personnel sign the training form indicating that s/he has received the training and understands the policy and rules.
• Verify that the owner/operator of a private vehicle approved to respond to an emergency has a valid drivers’ license and adequate vehicle insurance.
• Give Class 2 notice of intent (under Chapter 985) at least 90 days before equipping the first
vehicle with pulsating headlamps. [Note: (ss. 347.25 (1), Wis. Stats.) Police vehicles, fire
equipment, and ambulances are authorized to operate with pulsating or flashing high beam
headlamps.]
How Insurance Companies May View Emergency Response in Private Vehicles
Many insurance policies written for conventional automobile insurance do not include coverage of private vehicles for emergency response nor do they recognize them as authorized emergency response vehicles.
If you are classing your vehicle as an emergency vehicle, it has to meet the requirements. Most states require both lights (specific minimum numbers / locations / colors / types) and audible warning devices such as sirens on emergency vehicles, and if your respond, you will need to use both. If you get into an accident when not using both, you have a significant chance of losing any lawsuit against you.
Another question to ask is whether your department will cover your personal vehicle in the event you get involved in an accident driving Code 3. I don't think so...
Risk verses benefit, personal liability issues, the amount of time saved responding to an incident in many cases are negligible at best. Couple this with strict Wisconsin laws and you are probably better off staying low key.
With that said, a prior FFN post covered this by one of your local folks... It's been a few years since the post so you, actually living in Wisconsin, should be able to figure out what the most recent laws and regulations are by asking your department, and you supervisor. It's a valid question that should be addressed, in writing to cover yourself... just in case...
Permalink Reply by Jared Rahr on January 24, 2009 at 3:59pm
In wisconsin, a volunteer can have red/white lights and sirens if the department says you can. if you have just a light and no siren, people are not required to pull over for you. but most still do. if you have both, you are to be treated the same as any other emergency vehicle. but we at our department still obey all traffic laws and stop at every red light and stop sign. the problem with some is when they get siren-itus. which is basically they stop thinking about averything except getting to the station. they will someday ruin lights for us all.
CBz
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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call me stupid but i can't find anything that says if you have a emergency light than you must have a siren or you can have an emrgency light only!? sorry if i'm just mssing it here!!
The bottom of Mike Schlags post (in italics) does cover it. If you are running just lights, you have to obey the traffic laws.
We will still run just lights on some calls, especially at night, with little traffic and the nature of the call. Although we also have opticom and having the lights on will change the traffic lights for us. Most people will yield to the lights anyway. Just remember if running lights you obey the traffic laws, this means speed limit, stopping at stop signs, red lights, etc.
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Permalink Reply by Marvin Hawk on
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It would seem to me that the need for a siren can be best met by playing any speech by Gov. Walker on you vehicles tape/CD player and rolling down the windows. Of course if you choose to use this method you may want to avoid any of Wisconsin's hard working public employee's, they are already a little pissed off.
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Permalink Reply by Bull on
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I am from Wi, and I was told by law enforcement, if you run lights, you must have a siren. You must be seen and heard. Lights must be visible at 360 degrees... " Not just a dash light". There are alot of people that just run with a dash light, and if they are ever in an accident while responding, they are more liable, and will probably be prosecuted as such. You must also have permission from the Sheriff and your Chief to run lights and siren.
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Permalink Reply by Brandon "QTR" Larson on
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I am also from WI and it is a state statute that if you have a light on you must have a siren in operation. It also says that if you just have a light that traffic does not legally have to pull over for you but if you have both a light and a siren it is a law that they pull over for you. In our dept we use due regard in using our sirens after 11 pm.
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