2010 Chevy Tahoe Unmarked Fire Chief

[firedude]

Our department recently received a hand-me-down 2010 Chevy Tahoe that was used by the city's building department before being given to the FD. I'll spare you from the politics, but the city denied our FD from purchasing new chief car.

The Vehicle was black and already had some lights installed (Vertex, spot light and TA). Also worth noting that some of the equipment used in this installation came off the old vehicle, a 2006 Chevy Tahoe.

Front:
(2x) Dual Whelen Avengers Red/White on the headliner
(2x) Whelen LINZ6 Red mounted in the grill
(2x) Whelen Vertex red in turn signals
Whelen HLF

Side:
Whelen Vertex Red/White on the side miror
Whelen Ion Red/White in the rear windos
Halogen Spot light on A Pillar Driver Side

Rear:
Whelen Dominator TA behind the glass
(4x) Whelen Ions Blue, Red (2x), White
(4x) Whelen Vertex Red and White
Whelen HLF in Turn Signals

Inside:
Whelen Cencom Gold (Reused from previous chief vehicle)
(3x) Motorola CDM (Low Band, VHF and UHF)
Motorola XTL2500 Trunked Radio
Gamber Johnson Console

The Vehicle is 90% complete, just awaiting the instaltion of 3M Ghost Graphics which should be completed this coming week.

I will take additional photos/videos when the weather gets nicer and when the vehicle is complete.

While I was involved in installation/upfitting process, I didn't have say in the lights that were selected and where the lights were mounted, and how they were mounted. I've already made my opinions heard by the officers of the department.

If there is any constructive criticism, please post. We are already planning on making custom brackets to get the avengers closer to the headliner and closer to the windshield. If anyone has any tips, please let me know!

 

[Jarred J.]

you don't need brackets made... just the use the coat hanger trick or get some visor mounts...

 

[zack A]

Looks good!

 

[tsquale]

I still can't fathom why a fire department needs a stealthy vehicle. Ghost graphics, no lightbar....sigh...the fire isn't going to run and hide!

Install wise it looks like a great setup. I'm just not a fan of its purpose.

 

[firedude]

I still can't fathom why a fire department needs a stealthy vehicle. Ghost graphics, no lightbar....sigh...the fire isn't going to run and hide!

Install wise it looks like a great setup. I'm just not a fan of its purpose.

While I agree 100% with you. The cost to repaint the car was way to expensive.
It's also nice as it draws less attention, since this is a take-home vehicle.

 

[Krsdog25]

With a slicktop vehicle "draws less attention" is a bad thing when it comes to your graphics. I could understand if you were parking a marked police car in your driveway but honestly who hates firemen? Another thing I have an issue with is the white Ion to the rear which is blinding and messing with my obsessive compulsive need for symmetry. Keep the flash pattern and make the rear B/R/R/B. For the front the Avengers need to move inboard, be synced and set up R/W/W/R. Otherwise I understand your dilemma with the bldg dept, my PD is driving cars with 160k miles on them while the building dept gets new SUVs like it's an Oprah giveaway.

 

[pdk9]

That's ridiculous that you're getting handmedowns from the building Dept....if anything, they should be getting PD & FD handmedowns! However, it does look like a good start!

FRONT: I'm glad to hear that you have plans to move the avengers inwards b/c they look like they sit directly in the line of sight of the driver (unless the chief is the size of Kevin hart). The only thing I would really change here is upgrading the grill lights to something larger (i.e. Lin6 or M7); lin6, for example, fit perfectly there and I don't like using the small linz6 (with a small reflector) for primary warning

SIDE: I'm hoping that you can eventually upgrade the mirror light to something like mirrorbeams or intersectors. Also, especially since this is a slicktop, I think something up front for intersection is imperative; something like a lin6 or M4 would look nice there

REAR: I know that you're going on reused items, but I honestly think that it looks like a nasty blur to have the ions & dominator on top of each other there. I would either program the dominator to only come on when you need a TA, OR I would try to see if you can swap out some of the modules for red & blue (check the wanted/for sale section so that you can maybe make the dominator something like AAARRR, RRAABB, RRRBBB, AAABBB, etc) and move the ions elsewhere. If you guys really like the ions, I would consider selling the dominator to use for funds to use on upgrading lighting elsewhere b/c you still have decent rear warning without it and I wouldn't plan on a Chiefs vehicle directing traffic anyways; just be sure to get rid of the white rear ion.

I'm totally against ghost graphics for fire dept vehicles; I either think they should be clearly marked as fire dept vehicle if you have the resources to get it striped

 

[Station 3]

it would be a great police vehicle..... BUT its a fire truck I needs big bright reflective colors and a lightbar not stealthy stuff to catch crack heads in an alley way.....

 

[jph2]

Frankly, I don't understand ghost graphics for PD, either, especially if they're reflective. Either mark it or don't.

 

[Krsdog25]

Ghost graphics are a compromise born out of politics. Having dealt with that issue, I can say they do serve a purpose. When the task calls for a stealth car but admin/city wants everything marked(so it doesn't send the wrong message and people can easily spot us)....it's better than nothing.

 

[EastSide279]

Looks like a solid setup for the equipment you had to work with.

 

[Station 3]

Frankly, I don't understand ghost graphics for PD, either, especially if they're reflective. Either mark it or don't.

They do it as a loop hole.... The government wants to protect the criminals so they make all these bullshit laws saying that law enforcement need markings to make traffic stops and this and that... So the PDs do a big F U and just add ghost lettering so technicly they are marked but they kinda arnt? Do you understand

 

[Eric1249]

I personally don't mind a FD vehicle without a lightbar as long as it is lit up properly. When the running lights/headlights are on can you even see the Vertex in the front turn signals? I would sell the Avengers in the front windshield and get an interior bar.

 

[5309]

Just get a wrap on the front doors and call it a day.

Btw more pics of the sea grave ladder please...

 

[RBFD4151]

Congrats on a nice looking SUV. Too bad you had to get a hand me down!
I'm going to echo what others have said- but in broad terms the unmarked/black/dark color theme deal strikes me as poor public relations. In PD/EMS/FIRE I think we need to be out there and easily recognized by the public! Regardless if we're volunteer or career we depend on public support for what we do! If we're driving around in a black/stealth vehicle with ghost graphics, is it too much too say it looks a tad bit sinister? Men in Black was a Hollywood movie, not a way to run a local tax funded agency.

As an aside I saw a black SUV with the ghost graphics driving today, we had a bit of snow in our area a few days ago, and with a coating of road salt on the graphics it looked like a hot mess! Don't mean to offend, just my 2 cents.

And yes, PD detectives and the PD Chief get unmarked cars, that should be the extent of it.

 

[aggmeister2010]

I totally understand the "unmarked" FD vehicle thing. I have two jobs - I work in the oilfield, and for the fire department. If I rolled up to my other job in a marked FD truck, they'd start raising eyebrows. It's just very uncommon and would give me an uphill battle. But I still want to be able to do my job for the FD properly!

Hence, interior lights and no big reflective lettering - but still enough lighting equipment to get the point across when I need to use it.

 

[Surgicalcric]

Ghost graphics screams of playing hide and seek in a vehicle that should be easily visible and identifiable even with the lights off. I am also not a fan of slick top FD/EMS vehicles.

Volunteer vehicles is something entirely different.

 

[firedude]

A few more photos, truck is almost in service...


















Should be getting some better pics and videos shortly, once in service.

 

[pdk9]

I really wish you guys painted it white and matched the graphics/striping of car 2421, so that Rye's command vehicles start to have some uniformity (instead of 5 command vehicles with 5 different design schemes). Granted, I understand that you're working with what you got handed to you, but I would've at least matched the red/yellow graphics on your marked Chiefs SUV, instead of ghost graphics.

 

[firedude]

Had the opportunity to take a few shots of the vehicle today, after it was cleaned up.

 

[firedude]

a few more:

 

[firedude]

And of course, the video:

For the cencom:
1st Position Switch: Off
2nd Position Switch: Rear Warning only
3rd Position Switch: Front white cutout and avenger cutout
4th Position Switch: All on

 

[pdk9]

I'd really like to see the 2 grill linz6 flash together, the dominator be set on one pattern (not scan through multiple patterns), & replace the white ion with a blue one (thus have 2 blue ions on D/S flash together --> 2 red ions on P/S spoiler flash together)

 

[Krsdog25]

Great job.....the fire will never see you coming.

 

[5309]

Needs a lightbar and some decals.