FD Chief Suburban 2011 Outer Edge, Outer Edge Pillar
- Thread starter VolEms
- Start date
Black Hoe
Member
TritonBoulder47
Member
Honestly... WAY TOO MUCH to the rear... And slightly overkill to the front... But thats my professional side... My whacker side thinks its AWESOME!!! LOL
gfpd26
Member
I would have to agree way to much lighting all around...dont understand why you need that much lighting on one vehicle....ambulances dont even have that much lighting
The 4 head dominators inside the rear on each side and the one mounted at the top are so pointless it hurts to think about.
Not only is that a STUPID amount of rear lighting, but all those Interior lights on int he rear hatch are gonna be KILLER when youre trying to actually USE the rear compartment. I hope it has a kill switch for the rear lights somewhere
and the Video is annoying a full minute of pointless crap at the beginning of the vid....
and the Video is annoying a full minute of pointless crap at the beginning of the vid....
Station 3
Member
I can't get past the cost. Congratulations if they have that much funding. I hope their crews have top notch training.
charliefox
Member
I have to protect one of our neighboring departments... I have to disagree with all of you who say it is overkill with all these lights. If you are not familiar with the Croton Falls Fire District, about 40% of their calls is on I-684, a limited access high speed higway. There have been incidents in the past with NYSP troopers and other emergency apparatus being hit by stupid drivers. The Instaler, Specialty Warniung Systems or Danbury, CT, is very profesional and certainly know what they are doing. Here is some more info on the install...
Source and Photos
Source and Photos
firedude said:
Just my personal opinion, but if they run so many calls on the interstate, they should be driving something bigger - like a piece of fire apparatus (e.g., engine company, rescue squad or truck/tower). Something that can handle being whacked by a vehicle a bit better than a Suburban.
Again, my personal opinion.
firedude said:
With all due respect, you are wrong. They could run 40% of their calls on Daytona International Raceway during the Daytona 500 and all those interior Dominators would not add to their safety at all.
What does the the top hatch Dominator do that the lightbar AND outer edge don't do? On the front side, what does the Dominator in the top portion of the grill do that the one in the bottom portion does not do?
I get it, we all love getting a little excessive with lights, but don't try and justify it to anybody on here with any reason other than "we did it because we can".
C17LVFD
Member
If they wanted better protection with all those lights... fine... It's overkill and that's saying something if I say it... as people who know me know how much I like the blinkies...
However... you want to make it safer... slow down the patterns and don't do split heads... make the truck say, "I'm here slow down and don't hit me"... don't make it a UFO that'll attract every drunk driver in the state...
Just my 0.02.
Seth
However... you want to make it safer... slow down the patterns and don't do split heads... make the truck say, "I'm here slow down and don't hit me"... don't make it a UFO that'll attract every drunk driver in the state...
Just my 0.02.
Seth
sweet install... but I'd loose:
One of the front D6s
Front Linz6s
interior rear d4s & D6/8.
Change patterns on rear to slower patterns
do full lighthead or top to bottom for the M4s not side to side if you dont want to just fire the entire head at once.
Other then that I think it looks good.
One of the front D6s
Front Linz6s
interior rear d4s & D6/8.
Change patterns on rear to slower patterns
do full lighthead or top to bottom for the M4s not side to side if you dont want to just fire the entire head at once.
Other then that I think it looks good.
I can't help but think that safety comes from the vehicle operation and placement, not so much from the warning light package. If "don't hit me" was the message they wanted to send, there'd be a lot more amber, especially to the rear.
Last edited by a moderator:
CenTexPSE
Member
Doug said:
I understand what you are saying but this is the chief's car not a fire truck. The chief of the department responds stright to the scene cause his truck is used for command and other things. So, this car is always first on scene and may not have any thing else to protect him. Also, people shouldn't assume that all of the light will be used, ie only using some lights at night.
ISU_Cyclone said:
Well I have to disagree but flashing lights do help protect fire apparatus. I know it doesn't work all the time but It does help to be seen and from a farther distance. I believe it has been proven that both lights and chevrons help to protect apparatus and firefighters. Now yes, I agree that there may be too much lights but like I said above, not all the lights may be used at once. For all I know, those dominators could have been saved from an old car and placed on this one (they are not the new dominator plus). Maybe he wanted a TA, IDK.
This is all my opinion
I think if they slow down the dominator and M4 on the back it would be more effective. Fast and slow flashing is the best combo. In NY a lot of Depts Chiefs have First Responder vehicles. It's very important they be visible since they can be there solo for a couple of minutes.
I think the Whelen catalog just threw up on your truck.. That is the prime example of New york volunteer firefighter whackerism..Its bright it flashes fast we gotta buy it and put it on before the next town does. Wayyyyyyyy over kill..
egriggs
Member
Way too much!! With the amount of lighting they put on this one vehicle, they could have equipped two vehicles very nicely... In these tight budget time throughout the country and world for that matter, it kills me to see something like this...
I agree that the rear is overkill, i can't imagine approaching all of that day or night. Front isn't as bad. Certainly not a knock on the installer.
I can understand having the mindset of more is more when responding to highway calls, but I think a rear arrowboard would have been exponentially more effective and safe for responders and drivers. Simple and clear direction mounted high up. Granted a rear arrowboard isn't nearly as fun as those lights.
I can understand having the mindset of more is more when responding to highway calls, but I think a rear arrowboard would have been exponentially more effective and safe for responders and drivers. Simple and clear direction mounted high up. Granted a rear arrowboard isn't nearly as fun as those lights.
No wonder the property taxes are ridiculous. You can outfit two chiefs cars with the amount of lights on this vehicle.
Station 3
Member
Problem solved! And it dident take an entire WHELEN catalog to get the job done!!
Down here TXDOT closes down entire highways with 1 UNIT yes 1 UNIT and all it has on it is one Federal Halogen highlighter mini bar and an arrow board and cones.....
Down here TXDOT closes down entire highways with 1 UNIT yes 1 UNIT and all it has on it is one Federal Halogen highlighter mini bar and an arrow board and cones.....
firedude said:
I respect your opinion, however, it is a FACT that flashing lights on emergency vehicles have been proven to actually ATTRACT drivers, especially impaired drivers. Studies were done on a state level here in FL by the FL IPTM (Institute of Police Technology and Management), and then results were compared with independent studies done on a national level. It was proven that when people see flashing lights while driving, their natural reaction is to be curious and look to see what's going on (aka rubbernecking). The studies also showed that when people shift their focus in a different direction while driving, their hands tend to follow, making the vehicle drift in the direction they are looking (Don't think anyone here can say they have NEVER looked over to clear a lane for a lane change, and noticed themselves drifting toward that lane), toward those cool flashing lights. Now while this happens with sober drivers, it is typically very slight, and quickly corrected, however, in cases of impaired drivers, the effect is more exagerated, causing the driver to drift toward the lights, and in some cases the drivers depth perception, and/or motor skills, and/or reaction time is impaired enough that it may cause the impaired driver to collide with the emergency vehicle.
Not to mention a vehicle with too much rear lighting could possibly blind a motorist approaching from the rear, making them unable to see any other dangers or roadway ubstructions...
Needs LIN3's on the running boards and HAW LED's in the fog lights.. I can't believe they left that real estate open like that. They're normally the first to be filled up.
I don't know about how much they attract drivers, but I, unlike others apparently, value my sense of sight. I like being able to see where I'm going. With all those lights flashing, especially at night, anyone standing nearby and for about a hundred yards past it, such as a police officer in his dark uniform, is in immense danger because the lights are so bright that all I can see is a flickering glow when instead I need to be able to see things like, for example, people, or the edge of the road. Is that too much to ask? Would you prefer that I just stop a quarter mile away before I'm close enough that it's so bright that it actually hurts, and just wait til they drive off before I continue?
Less is more.
Less is more.
fireman616wfd
Member
so I read the comments before watching the video and I was planning on commenting "all you haters out there" lol "dont be jealous" but geez.... glad I watched the video first lol
Its just not set-up well imo... couldve been done better. I would have like to have seen just a outer edge in amber as a Traffic Director and a Pillor Edge in Red with some Hideaways or M4's by the tag, take the modules out of the real of that freedom and that would have still been ALOT of light but effective I think.
Its just not set-up well imo... couldve been done better. I would have like to have seen just a outer edge in amber as a Traffic Director and a Pillor Edge in Red with some Hideaways or M4's by the tag, take the modules out of the real of that freedom and that would have still been ALOT of light but effective I think.
LED138
Member
That is a rediculous amount of lights! Totally unnecessary! I'm with the other posters on this one, the excuse of the highway is just a smoke and mirrors justification. ALOT of us on here run on multi-lane highways. Unless they are working on the Autobahn, I wouldnt call it high-speed. Also Im sure most of us here pretty much have the chief as the first on scene. If the highway is that unsafe to be operating on that you need that much lighting then maybe you should form a response task force and you all respond and arrive together so you can safely shut down the highway. I wouldnt want to be operating command from the rear with all of that flashing. Invest in some refective striping, sign boards, cones and flashing arrows... Thats my opinion.
BTW, those pillar lights are just downright ugly!!! The Vertex is the proverbial cherry on the ugly cake!!
-Steve
BTW, those pillar lights are just downright ugly!!! The Vertex is the proverbial cherry on the ugly cake!!
-Steve
Our Chief has a TLF only on his Expedition for rear warning and we have a 4 mile stretch on Interstate 94 between Milwaukee and Madison. Granted, he doesn't block lanes or anything like that.
HILO
Member
That video is annoying, I was able to mute the frog being choked music, and built up a buffer to skip the boring parts and get to the point. The vehicle is just over killed over kill. The highway excuse does not fly. I've shut down 3 lane major interstates on blind curves in the rain with a slick top 93 Taurus PPV that had an arrow stick in the back window, 2 par 36 strobes on top of the arrow and HAW strobes in the reverse lights, flares and 6 cones. My self and a patrol sgt. shut down a 4 lane interstate with just 2 cars running arrow sticks, hazard lamps, flares and cones. There is such a thing as too much light, and then there is that vehicle. I keep hearing circus music when I watch that thing blink. Sorry.
RMBROWN
Member
CenTexPSE
Member
factorone33
Member
I'm not here to critique the install, but that's got to be at least $10,000 in lights alone. The command cabinet looks like a Mobile Fleet cabinet, and those run about $2500 for basic units.
The Dominators are creative when mounted internally like that.
The Dominators are creative when mounted internally like that.
I kind of sit on both sides of the fence on this one.
#1 being I know I-684 and the department's coverage area well (I'm actually going to be driving through there on Friday). For those of you who do not know I-684, it is one of the poorest maintained, poorest designed, tightest turning, and crowded highways I have ever driven on (I do a lot of driving across the country). Not to mention you have a lot of "hot shit" drivers who all drive atleast 80 on a 55mph? (I think) highway. I can see the need for increased rear lighting.
#2, the way the rear lighting was utilized was poor. Too much going on too close together on too fast of a pattern. But then again you have to remember, it's what the customer wants and that doesn't always mean the customer is right.
Doug, it is very common for chief's to be up on the highways in their vehicles in this area. Atleast CT is getting better about it and has the CHAMP (CT Highway Assistance Motorist Patrol) program that drives around with full arrow board and message signs to help protect emergency responders.
#1 being I know I-684 and the department's coverage area well (I'm actually going to be driving through there on Friday). For those of you who do not know I-684, it is one of the poorest maintained, poorest designed, tightest turning, and crowded highways I have ever driven on (I do a lot of driving across the country). Not to mention you have a lot of "hot shit" drivers who all drive atleast 80 on a 55mph? (I think) highway. I can see the need for increased rear lighting.
#2, the way the rear lighting was utilized was poor. Too much going on too close together on too fast of a pattern. But then again you have to remember, it's what the customer wants and that doesn't always mean the customer is right.
Doug, it is very common for chief's to be up on the highways in their vehicles in this area. Atleast CT is getting better about it and has the CHAMP (CT Highway Assistance Motorist Patrol) program that drives around with full arrow board and message signs to help protect emergency responders.
DaveCN5 said:
Dave, I understand that the command staff often respond in their departmental vehicles. My point is that the lights are a tool (in this case, I believe they're poorly used), and that the scene safety comes from a combination of proper positioning, adequate (not excessive, but also not poorly) lighting, and other factors. How many of these responders, for example, wear the mandated reflective PPE (if I recall correctly, the vests are mandated by DOT if federal funds are used in construction and/or maintenance of the roadway)?
Seems to me there are a LOT more factors than just how many flashing lights can fit onto a vehicle.