Amber to the front.

E

EMS10EMT

Member
Aug 31, 2010
397
0
NJ
What are your thoughts on amber to the front of your POV, mixed in with your states chosen emergency color?


Ive been thinking of mixing an amber in the mix, but could never figure out how to tastefully do it without loosing the "this is an emergency vehicle" look.


and go...
 
In the police car that myself and triton911bj did, they had amber HAWs in the front corners... I thought it fairly odd, but it didn't look bad...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
AMber is one of the most visible colors to the eye. I think it is a great idea as long as there is enough red, white or blue..whatever color u can use, to offset the amber to make it know you ARE an emergency vehicle NOT a DOT truck.


KP
 
If a person does not pull over for you he can always say he only saw the amber. Not a good idea to put amber to the front for an emergency vehicle.
 
Put it only in areas the drivers may have a tough time seeing (intersection). I would use them as intersection warning lights, but thats it. All other lights( grill, dash, deck) will be just as visible as amber in the position that they are in. Therefore, amber should only be used in areas were light output is small.
 
+1 imo all amber should be in the rear of any bar or lighting...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fine to the front, but keep it to a minimum, like 1 pair of lightheads set to a simple, slow flash for ID only. You can be parked wherever, with ambers on, providing just enough warning, but not enought to draw the gawkers. Using for response, well, that's up to your discretion.
 
There are reasons that NFPA and KKK mandate amber only to the rear, or while stopped. It's a blocking the right of way color, not clearing the righto of way. Well placed clear is just as effective and should be used only when the vehicle is in motion.


A great application for multi color heads in a Lightbar would to turn the front clear into amber when the vehicle is placed in park.
 
JohnMarcson said:
A great application for multi color heads in a Lightbar would to turn the front clear (white) into amber when the vehicle is placed in park.
Click to expand...

I like johns idea!
 
I wouldn't mind seeing some bright amber lights to the front when used as a turn signal. With as many flashing lights on some vehicles as there are, turn signals are pretty much invisible, and they're pretty important to tell people where you're going so they know "how" to get out of the way.
 
LAFD ambulances used to have a roof bar with a single red beacon & an amber "lollipop" light on either side (the steady reds were on the hood)...
 
Texas DPS used to run an amber filter in front with code 3 bars. Don't the private ambos in Arizona run red amber with row?
 
Some of Southwest's ambulances have 1/2 amber front bars....hard to tell if they are a dump truck or tow truck it's so bad.


Clear/white shows up nearly as well and doesn't send the "service vehicle" message.
 
Phoenix (Metro) Fire Trucks seem to keep the tradition of Amber in there forward lightbar and lighting.


I only have the one photo I found of a Phoenix Police Car (70's?) with Red/Amber (there may be more).


Southwest Ambulance (Maricopa County Wide) runs Red/Amber, some more Amber than Red. They have started to use Red/Blue now in there new ambulances.


I understand that South Dakota uses the amber in front for when there parked on the highway (along with one amber in the rear) for safety.


I had one amber light head to the front of My POV (all split R/W:A/A:R/R:W/R) only because I was Cheap and did not buy 2 R/R and already had the A/A. It looked good all sync in a nice pattern Like,


R/X:X/X:R/R:X/R


X/W:A/A:X/X:W/X


(it took away the blue look of the white LED's LoL!)


It worked for me.


I have no problem with a little amber to the front along with whatever colors are allowed to use in your state.

007.jpg

18142723_240X180.jpg

3945654625_104ca2c21e.jpg

res030.jpg

sd134.jpg

PhoenixPD.jpg
 
HDHP still have a pair of amber modules in the front of their Liberty bars. Only time I see them lit is when they're alongside the interstate on a T-stop or disabled vehicle. They're not used with R/B. The county here had them forever on the MX7000 bars, but have gone away from then and to all R/B Liberties.
 
In Spain the general rule has been that police cars had blue lights and everything else had amber, but more recently, some ambulances have been getting red/amber or blue/amber lights. Most ambulances and fire trucks I saw when I was there (March 2008) still only had amber lights, but SAMUR, the ambulance service in and near Madrid, had red and amber.


Police vehicles got a pair of rear amber flashers in the 90s with the switch to Vector lightbars, and more recently I get the idea that red lights are now required on police vehicles visible to the front. (Blue is still the primary color)
 
nerdly_dood said:
I wouldn't mind seeing some bright amber lights to the front when used as a turn signal. With as many flashing lights on some vehicles as there are, turn signals are pretty much invisible, and they're pretty important to tell people where you're going so they know "how" to get out of the way.
Click to expand...

Come on, you're in the DC metro area - how many people around here use their turn signal?! Pet peeve of mine!
 
True, but I do see one every once in a while. I actually come from Roanoke, where turn signals and other good driving habits are commonplace.


Here's an idea: If an ambulance is running hot and they want to signal a left turn, how bout when they flip the turn signal on, the lights switch to a moderately flast scrolling pattern toward the left. (Opposite of course for right, and possibly center-out for 4-way flashers) but naturally, only when they've got the flashing lights turned on. Not the way most directional bars add a light to either direction and then when full, ALL turn off, I mean add a light to either side, and then when full, the "off" pattern scrolls the same way... this isn't working with words.


Pretend I've got a bunch of lights here, with . being "off" and O being "on".


A typical directional bar goes like this:


. . . . . .


. . . . . O


. . . . OO


. . . OOO


. . OOOO


. OOOOO


OOOOOO


. . . . . .


. . . . . O


. . . . OO


. . . OOO


. . OOOO


. OOOOO


OOOOOO


I mean more like this:


. . . . . .


. . . . . O


. . . . OO


. . . OOO


. . OOOO


. OOOOO


OOOOOO


OOOOO .


OOOO . .


OOO . . .


OO . . . .


O . . . . .


to signal a certain turn. (Anyone who could create a GIF animation taking up less space would be welcome to...)
 
rwo978 said:
HDHP still have a pair of amber modules in the front of their Liberty bars. Only time I see them lit is when they're alongside the interstate on a T-stop or disabled vehicle. They're not used with R/B. The county here had them forever on the MX7000 bars, but have gone away from then and to all R/B Liberties.
Click to expand...

Ryan,


Don't the North Dakota State Patrol do the same with their Liberty's bars, the first inboard sections have amber modules that operate individually ? Tried to find a video online, but wasn't successful. I could have sworn that while driving down into your fine state, I've seen NDSP with the two front facing amber modules alternating, with the rear TA and deck amber flashers going.


Effective, and conveyed the message that the vehicle was stationary without being a draw of your attention.


Does Fargo or West Fargo have amber modules in the front of their bars ?
 
TJW said:
Don't the North Dakota State Patrol do the same with their Liberty's bars, the first inboard sections have amber modules that operate individually ? Tried to find a video online, but wasn't successful. I could have sworn that while driving down into your fine state, I've seen NDSP with the two front facing amber modules alternating, with the rear TA and deck amber flashers going.
Click to expand...
Yes, they do. They've had it forever like that, probably will. Only thing they've switched lately is to sync'd Avengers on the rear deck, R/B on one side, R/A on the other. They are normally on when the corners of the Libby are on, not just the amber stuff. Rear TA is plenty bright on it's own.

TJW said:
Effective, and conveyed the message that the vehicle was stationary without being a draw of your attention.
Click to expand...
That's what I'm saying. ;)

TJW said:
Does Fargo or West Fargo have amber modules in the front of their bars ?
Click to expand...
No
 
VolEms said:
If a person does not pull over for you he can always say he only saw the amber. Not a good idea to put amber to the front for an emergency vehicle.
Click to expand...

They can say it but their subjective opinion doesn't make for a defense to an objective criminal charge. :D Plus if there's any question, that's what the siren is for.


The North Carolina Division of Forestry (fire) has old B-Link highway patrol lightbars and for some reason they decided to make the front halogen flashers amber (with center clear strobe and 4 corner red strobes). They also have amber and red grille lights (strobe/LED mix, if I recall correctly). It isn't my preference but it looks good, it is legal, is very effective, and you can't mistake it for anything other than an emergency vehicle.


That being said, I don't like the idea for the front of moving emergency vehicles.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Our old ambulance had two amber strobes in the middle of the lightbar. It originally came RWRAARWR, but somebody's bright idea was to replace all of the whites with reds and change the pattern from R_R__R_R alternating with _W_AA_W_ to _RR__RR_ alternating with R__AA__R. (they also changed the corners to white for some reason) The back of the bar was always RWRARWR (7 strobes, same config as originally in the front except 1 amber instead of 2 in the middle) and it seemed kinda backwards to me that the whites were in the back.


[Broken External Image]:http://babylonfd.com/sitebuilder/images/rescue_4-469x258.png
 
JohnMarcson said:
Some of Southwest's ambulances have 1/2 amber front bars....hard to tell if they are a dump truck or tow truck it's so bad.

Clear/white shows up nearly as well and doesn't send the "service vehicle" message.
Click to expand...

I never had a problem with SWA's lighting set up while responding code in the Phoenix Metro area. HLF & Siren is what motorist see/hear first anyways. The on the job accident I was involved with while running code happened when a motorist struck the side of the ambulance (Red Halogens, no amber).


I highly doubt any lay person would make the conscious decision not to yield the right of way based on the amber color in any warning system. An enthusiast may take a second look to see if he/she is really seeing amber, then make a quick chuckle on how funny that is while yielding.
 
I say all amber to the rear unless the whole vehicle is only running amber, my truck is being set up blue and clear to the front, blue to the sides, and blue and amber to the rear. I also just think amber and an "emergency" color look kinda awkward to the front. Just my 2cents
 
Taken from "Rofo's Rules of Effective Emergency Warning" (not published as of yet):


Amber: Rear only, exceptions can be made on larger apparatus on the sides next to the back corners, as it is not recognized as an emergency color.


White: Front and sides only, and only as a compliment to the emergency color. Use to the rear is prohibited as it is blinding and will cause cars to hit you.
 
Nope, you're not blind. I think ones like that (but using Gen3 LEDs) should be mandatory.


Rofo: I agree with most of that, but I wouldn't mind at all seeing a lightbar on the front of a fire truck or ambulance that's all red on one side and all clear on the other.
 
nerdly_dood said:
Rofo: I agree with most of that, but I wouldn't mind at all seeing a lightbar on the front of a fire truck or ambulance that's all red on one side and all clear on the other.
Click to expand...

The now-defunct Spring-Ford Rescue Squad near me had a truck with IIRC an Aero-Dynic that was half red, half white. One word: hideous. I mean, I am a HUGE fan of symmetry, so that didn't help, but it was still way too much white....
 
ya i thought it might be the camera. But I think that rig has 2 amber steady burns on the grill. Unless again the camera is deceiving me.
 
mjohnston said:
Those are turnsignals on the Holbrook medic, unless I'm blind and miss something.
Click to expand...
Correct.


There are plenty of example of depts using amber to the front while in motion...... there are also plenty of depts with speakers installed backward other various bad ideas.... I have no doubt lots of people run amber to the front, i just don't think it's any better than clear and sends a "warning" vs "emergency" message.
 
one of the volunteer FF at my station has two amber lightheads in the front bumper he has it like this RRAABB i think it looks okay.
 
I have seen some TXDPS cars with a single, amber, clearance-light type head in the grille. Only off but I highly douby it flashed with the emergency lights. Any ideas what its function is?


Harris county SO ran 1 amber lense in the edge 9000s they used to have before they went to r/b libertys, ultra freedoms, freedoms and patriots.


Our EMS sup's have a single amber head to the front on the Liberty's. Looks pretty good. No confusion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum Statistics

Threads
54,446
Messages
451,845
Members
19,342
Latest member
efoote381

Share This Page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back