chono said:
Cars look good. Don't see too many code enforcement divisions by me. The town I am in has community service officers which handle code enforcement. Ill have to see if I can snap a pic of their Chevy Colorado. They run r/b and use it to respond to accidents and fires.
Yes, most depts here that have reds on the light bars respond to accidents, i cant speak for other states but here amber is so widely used most drivers dont pay much attention to them. Red lights (not used while driving) unless told to do so by a supervisor; ie sgt ect., seem to convey theres an emergency ahead and most drivers will slow down and move over. Siren use example, accident on the interstate police and fire are responding and there is a CSO, FSO, CE, or CoP closer its not uncommon to see them driving the shoulder and seeing the lights or hearing a siren from the vehicle. (At our dept all amber light bars have Red to the rear, since 90% of the time thats what your approching)
(I must add, that the vehicles i have seen and spoken with the drivers of them, the cars are set up the same as other LE vehicles with the exception of NO blue lights/cages, the sirens ive heard have: air horn, manual, phaser, nothing else. (meaning the rest of the tones are disabled).
Typical calls to see a FSO, CEO, CoP, CE respond to: Fires, MVA's, Sink Holes or water main breaks under streets. (you would never see a FSO,CEO,CoP, CE respond to an inprogress call ie shooting, knifing, suicide, robbery ect.) again Strict General orders guidlines.
I have never seen a FSO CoP CSO or CE, responding to a call with lights on in traffic unless they are on scene.
Any FSO, CSO, CoP or CE vehicle that has red/amber, red/clear, blue/clear, blue/amber or clear/amber are going to have STRICT dept operational guide lines on when the equipment is used. Here our deputies don't respond to accidents with blues and sirens unless traffic's stopped, and their driving on the shoulder approching the scene. (
FD , well their lights and sirens all the way)...
I would say vehicles with all blue, blue/red, all red are considered true emergency vehicles. Here is our Fla State Statute on lights:
316.2397 Certain lights prohibited; exceptions.—
(1) No person shall drive or move or cause to be moved any vehicle or equipment upon any highway within this state with any lamp or device thereon showing or displaying a red or blue light visible from directly in front thereof except for certain vehicles hereinafter provided.
(2) It is expressly prohibited for any vehicle or equipment, except police vehicles, to show or display blue lights. However, vehicles owned, operated, or leased by the Department of Corrections or any county correctional agency may show or display blue lights when responding to emergencies.
(3) Vehicles of the fire department and fire patrol, including vehicles of volunteer firefighters as permitted under s. 316.2398, vehicles of medical staff physicians or technicians of medical facilities licensed by the state as authorized under s. 316.2398, ambulances as authorized under this chapter, and buses and taxicabs as authorized under s. 316.2399 are permitted to show or display red lights. Vehicles of the fire department, fire patrol, police vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of municipal and county departments, public service corporations operated by private corporations, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Department of Corrections as are designated or authorized by their respective department or the chief of police of an incorporated city or any sheriff of any county are hereby authorized to operate emergency lights and sirens in an emergency. Wreckers, mosquito control fog and spray vehicles, and emergency vehicles of governmental departments or public service corporations may show or display amber lights when in actual operation or when a hazard exists provided they are not used going to and from the scene of operation or hazard without specific authorization of a
law enforcement officer or
law enforcement agency. Wreckers must use amber rotating or flashing lights while performing recoveries and loading on the roadside day or night, and may use such lights while towing a vehicle on wheel lifts, slings, or under reach if the operator of the wrecker deems such lights necessary. A flatbed, car carrier, or rollback may not use amber rotating or flashing lights when hauling a vehicle on the bed unless it creates a hazard to other motorists because of protruding objects. Further, escort vehicles may show or display amber lights when in the actual process of escorting overdimensioned equipment, material, or buildings as authorized by
law. Vehicles owned or leased by private security agencies may show or display green and amber lights, with either color being no greater than 50 percent of the lights displayed, while the security personnel are engaged in security duties on private or public property.
(4) Road or street maintenance equipment, road or street maintenance vehicles, road service vehicles, refuse collection vehicles, petroleum tankers, and mail carrier vehicles may show or display amber lights when in operation or a hazard exists.
(5) Road maintenance and construction equipment and vehicles may display flashing white lights or flashing white strobe lights when in operation and where a hazard exists. Additionally, school buses and vehicles that are used to transport farm workers may display flashing white strobe lights.
(6) All lighting equipment heretofore referred to shall meet all requirements as set forth in s. 316.241.
(7) Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as a means of indicating a right or left turn, to change lanes, or to indicate that the vehicle is lawfully stopped or disabled upon the highway or except that the lamps authorized in subsections (1), (2), (3), (4), and (9) and s. 316.235(5) are permitted to flash.
(8) Subsections (1) and (7) do not apply to police, fire, or authorized emergency vehicles while in the performance of their necessary duties.
(9) Flashing red lights may be used by emergency response vehicles of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health when responding to an emergency in the line of duty.
(10) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.
In the end there will always be someone who will disagree with the light colors on certain vehicles & others that like them, but each agency has strict guidlines inplace for their usage and why the colors are what they are.
The above florida statute covers the emergency vehicle lighting, sorry if its a long post but the infos there..
