Thread: Blue outer and red inner lights? who had this set-up?

Elmhurst IL in the early to mid 80s ran all blue Jetsonics with 2 red alternating flashers in the front next to the speaker

*bump*
There's a R/B/R edge for sale, here's another one. I wonder where it's from.

Originally Posted by Ipuvaepe

*bump*
There's a R/B/R edge for sale, here's another one. I wonder where it's from.

That guy just put his extra lenses on that Edge to sell it. Look, they don't line up with the reflectors

I had noticed they didn't line up, but I've seen more ****-tarded edge setups before so...

Dublin Ohio PD has had blue primary with red secondary lights for about 25 plus years..

Half Moon Bay Police in California Had Code 3 2100's with clear front corner leds, and the rest all blue except the 2 steady burns, and the 4 led amber T/A. The also had the driver side blue next to the t/a steady burn to the rear.

Maryland Toll Facilities Police ran BRRB as well see link for photos. police cars

Originally Posted by 50theman

Maryland Toll Facilities Police ran BRRB as well see link for photos. police cars

what model aerodynic was that? kinda looks like an nypd aero

Originally Posted by ERIC6913

what model aerodynic was that? kinda looks like an nypd aero

The last picture looks like it has outboard fixed position PAR-36's, so I'm guess it was a 24MEH.

Originally Posted by nickdlp10

awesome collection, very nice (in reply to wolfmans post)

Originally Posted by 50theman

Maryland Toll Facilities Police ran BRRB as well see link for photos. police cars

I'd love to have that Caprice! I bought a '94 Caprice ex-cop-car, ex-cab from the local taxi co. in 2001, and although it had mega-miles on it, it ran like a top. Since I was doing first response in my part of the county at the time, I had it equipped with a ProCopper between the seats with my trunktracker scanner, VHF two-way and Federal Director. And I had a FireBeam on the dash. While I had never gotten in a particular hurry in that car, I quickly discovered one day how fast it would run without even trying! I had just gotten in the car on the eastside of Odessa and was preparing to make the 20 mi. drive to Midland to see my dad in the nursing home. Just as I turned up the two-way the DPS dispatcher was sending units over to Lee High School (my old school) where there had been an explosion in the chemistry lab. The way it sounded, it seemed that half the school was going up and people hurt everywhere. Turned out, however, that only a couple of kids were hurt, one seriously, and no damage to the building. Anyway, as soon as I cleared the city, on went the Firebeam and the Director. Within a couple of minutes I passed the airport, which is halfway between both towns, and realized that I had made that 10 miles in only a couple of minutes. No wonder! I looked at the speedometer and was running 110! I didn't even have the peddle down. I backed off to 80. That was fast enough and I got there quick enough! And that LT1 was fuel efficient. The age and mileage eventually caught up with the old beast, but I still miss that car!

I know this topic sort of cooled off, but I found another few examples departments that used blue to the outside and red to the middle.

Dunsmir, CA Ford Tempo 1986



Seattle, WA 1973 Plymouth


Burlingame, CA 1980 St Regis

from my West Coast States album at copcar dot com - The home of the American Police Car

thank you for the pics! keep 'em coming!

Around 2005, I used a custom (about 40") Whelen Patriot, on a Dodge Intrepid that was all blue except for red inboard segments front and rear. This car was primarily used on Interstate 35W, in the Town of Northlake, TX, just north of Fort Worth, TX. I purchased this bar used and I was told it was originally made for the Florida Highway Patrol Cameros.

Poudre Fire Authority in Colorado. I would LOVE to have this suburban!

I guess that counts because of the way they're mounted....

Originally Posted by Retired1

Around 2005, I used a custom (about 40") Whelen Patriot, on a Dodge Intrepid that was all blue except for red inboard segments front and rear. This car was primarily used on Interstate 35W, in the Town of Northlake, TX, just north of Fort Worth, TX. I purchased this bar used and I was told it was originally made for the Florida Highway Patrol Cameros.

Did you ever have problems with running blue in the outboard spot? Lubbock EMS ran big blue Whelen strobes on a bar over the cabs of their earliest Type I ambulances, with red tunnel lights and bumper lights. They caught some flack initially because of Texas' rule of red having to be the primary color. Because of the red tunnels mounted up high, that sufficed, but after that the newer ambulances came with more red than blue.

As I think I may have mentioned above, my friend who was longtime fire chief in Hawley, TX, caught a lot of flack from area DPS officers who tried to claim that in TX, blue was reserved for law enforcement. Of course, that isn't true, and DPS-Austin told him so and put it in writing for him. Thereafter, if his guys were stopped for having blue in their lightbars, all they had to do was show the letter from DPS and that settled it!

Baltimore County Police (MD) has some remaining Federal Aerodynic 52 inch bars with the blue outer panels and red inner panels.

Originally Posted by Skip Goulet

Did you ever have problems with running blue in the outboard spot? Lubbock EMS ran big blue Whelen strobes on a bar over the cabs of their earliest Type I ambulances, with red tunnel lights and bumper lights. They caught some flack initially because of Texas' rule of red having to be the primary color. Because of the red tunnels mounted up high, that sufficed, but after that the newer ambulances came with more red than blue.

As I think I may have mentioned above, my friend who was longtime fire chief in Hawley, TX, caught a lot of flack from area DPS officers who tried to claim that in TX, blue was reserved for law enforcement. Of course, that isn't true, and DPS-Austin told him so and put it in writing for him. Thereafter, if his guys were stopped for having blue in their lightbars, all they had to do was show the letter from DPS and that settled it!

Skip,

I often install unique lighting on my cars / motorcycles. I have never had anyone question my authority to do so nor question the colors/color placement I've used.

Police vehicles in Texas have no requirement to have red to the front - in fact - we have a law that specifically allows us to NOT use red - see 546.004(b) and a law that allows us to not use any lights, if so desired - see 547.702(f).

Texas Transportation Code

Sec. 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.

(b) An authorized emergency vehicle that is operated as a police vehicle is not required to be equipped with or display a red light visible from the front of the vehicle.

Note: the remainder of this section does not contain anything related to this thread topic and is edited out in the interest of brevity


Sec. 547.702. *ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES. *(a) *An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell:
(1) *of a type approved by the department; *and
(2) *that emits a sound audible under normal conditions at a distance of at least 500 feet.
(b) *The operator of an authorized emergency vehicle shall use the siren, whistle, or bell when necessary to warn other vehicle operators or pedestrians of the approach of the emergency vehicle.
(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.

(f) *A police vehicle may, but is not required to, be equipped with signal lamps that comply with Subsection (c).

Terry

PS: I have never seen nor heard of blue being reserved for law enforcement only in Texas. I am not sure where those troopers came up with that. In fact, due to blue becoming so commonly used on road construction vehicles, i am now leaning toward red as the predominant color in my lighting using blue accents just to keep from being mistaken for a road construction related vehicle. That's disappointing because I prefer blue for law enforcement.

Originally Posted by Retired1

Skip,

I often install unique lighting on my cars / motorcycles. I have never had anyone question my authority to do so nor question the colors/color placement I've used.

Police vehicles in Texas have no requirement to have red to the front - in fact - we have a law that specifically allows us to NOT use red - see 546.004(b) and a law that allows us to not use any lights, if so desired - see 547.702(f).

Texas Transportation Code

Sec. 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.

(b) An authorized emergency vehicle that is operated as a police vehicle is not required to be equipped with or display a red light visible from the front of the vehicle.

Note: the remainder of this section does not contain anything related to this thread topic and is edited out in the interest of brevity


Sec. 547.702. *ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES. *(a) *An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell:
(1) *of a type approved by the department; *and
(2) *that emits a sound audible under normal conditions at a distance of at least 500 feet.
(b) *The operator of an authorized emergency vehicle shall use the siren, whistle, or bell when necessary to warn other vehicle operators or pedestrians of the approach of the emergency vehicle.
(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.

(f) *A police vehicle may, but is not required to, be equipped with signal lamps that comply with Subsection (c).

Terry

PS: I have never seen nor heard of blue being reserved for law enforcement only in Texas. I am not sure where those troopers came up with that. In fact, due to blue becoming so commonly used on road construction vehicles, i am now leaning toward red as the predominant color in my lighting using blue accents just to keep from being mistaken for a road construction related vehicle. That's disappointing because I prefer blue for law enforcement.

Terry: I agree with what you've said, and have seen the law you have just posted. But I think it was revised at one time, becausea friend of mine who was a vollie in Wolfforth got in trouble for running just a red Kojak light on his car w/o a siren. He got jumped by a DPS trooper when he pulled up at the scene of a fire and had the Kojak on but was only honking his horn. The situation that I mentioned occured around Hawley, TX, N.E. of Abilene, but I just got a PM from a gentleman who uses this board who was saying that his small dept. is getting flack from their local DPS trooper for using blue: claiming that blue is a reserved color. I agree with you: No it ain't!!!