Convincing my Department to...

[FSEP]

Let me change the light patterns on our apparatus.


So most of the lights on our apparatus is not synched at all... The side lighting is hideous, and the rear is even worse. We have dual whelen B6led beacons that flash both red/blue at the same time. The EMS side of the department is just as bad. The front of our ambulances is just a giant random blinking mess. :suicide:


So what I need to do is convince the chief and/or chief engineer to let me fix this mess. However, I'm not quite sure how to approach this. Do you guys have any ideas?

 

[WS224]

Just do it and beg forgiveness. If you lack the balls and intestinal fortitude for that go to the Chief or whoever is in charge and say:


Hey Chief......remember that time you said the lights on the fire engine would be better if we'd modify the flash patterns. You don't! Well it was a Great idea, I have been reading up on it and it's pretty easy to do. Let me know if you wanna see what that would look like.


Hell of an idea Chief. I'm talking genius.

 

[tsquale]

Let me change the light patterns on our apparatus.

So most of the lights on our apparatus is not synched at all... The side lighting is hideous, and the rear is even worse. We have dual whelen B6led beacons that flash both red/blue at the same time. The EMS side of the department is just as bad. The front of our ambulances is just a giant random blinking mess. :suicide:


So what I need to do is convince the chief and/or chief engineer to let me fix this mess. However, I'm not quite sure how to approach this. Do you guys have any ideas?

Do it and ask for forgiveness later when they realize how awesome it looks and how much safer it is. I just switched some patterns on one of our apparatus and have yet to have someone complain.

 

[theroofable]

Just do it and beg forgiveness. If you lack the balls and intestinal fortitude for that go to the Chief or whoever is in charge and say:

Hey Chief......remember that time you said the lights on the fire engine would be better if we'd modify the flash patterns. You don't! Well it was a Great idea, I have been reading up on it and it's pretty easy to do. Let me know if you wanna see what that would look like.


Hell of an idea Chief. I'm talking genius.

I added 4 blue modules on the freedom lightbar on our first out truck, also synced it up so the corners alternate r/b on each side. A little change can make a huge difference.

 

[Tlauden]

I know the feeling, while ours are all syncd its a major split fail. Looks like one big blinking mess. BUT everyone else loves the split heads. Its not worth an argument in my opinion. As long as it makes it to the scene and puts the fire out....

 

[picone239]

How into the lights are they? I'm sure I could change the patterns on my Engine, and probably make it weeks before anyone notices.

 

[Station 3]

How into the lights are they? I'm sure I could change the patterns on my Engine, and probably make it weeks before anyone notices.

My former chief of police was such an idiot i could probably change the whole bar from a liberty to an Mx7k and he would. Not know the diffrence.

 

[FSEP]

Just do it and beg forgiveness. If you lack the balls and intestinal fortitude for that go to the Chief or whoever is in charge and say:

Hey Chief......remember that time you said the lights on the fire engine would be better if we'd modify the flash patterns. You don't! Well it was a Great idea, I have been reading up on it and it's pretty easy to do. Let me know if you wanna see what that would look like.


Hell of an idea Chief. I'm talking genius.

+1 Just because that made me laugh. :thumbsup:

How into the lights are they? I'm sure I could change the patterns on my Engine, and probably make it weeks before anyone notices.

Honestly, it depends on the individual. Though the chief engineer loves her trucks more then her own kids soo.

 

[lotsofbars]

Do it now, they'll (maybe) ask questions later.

 

[plybeep68]

Have they seen any other vehicles with the lights synched? Show them some video footage! Then if that don't work, change it anyway and ask for mercy "IF" you get caught!

 

[Jarred J.]

yea im going to agree with the "change the patterns and see if anyone notices" idea.

 

[Skippy]

If youre worried about them noticing, maybe do it slowly, a couple of light heads at a time, until the whole thing is syncd.

 

[calebsheltonmed23]

Honestly, the only people who notice different patterns are (some) members on here. If you were to ask a bunch of random emergency services personnel what the difference in moduflash and quad flash, you would be speaking another language to them. I can almost guarantee they will not notice. Most responders (as we have seen from YouTube) don't know that there are more patterns other than the factory preset, and if they do, they pick the "cool" ones (ie, Whelen's Pinwheel).

 

[foxtrot5]

Honestly, the only people who notice different patterns are (some) members on here. If you were to ask a bunch of random emergency services personnel what the difference in moduflash and quad flash, you would be speaking another language to them. I can almost guarantee they will not notice. Most responders (as we have seen from YouTube) don't know that there are more patterns other than the factory preset, and if they do, they pick the "cool" ones (ie, Whelen's Pinwheel).

Hey hey hey... I have no idea the difference between moduflash and quad flash. I just go for what I think looks good.

 

[dcfrmp255]

Let me change the light patterns on our apparatus.

So most of the lights on our apparatus is not synched at all... The side lighting is hideous, and the rear is even worse. We have dual whelen B6led beacons that flash both red/blue at the same time. The EMS side of the department is just as bad. The front of our ambulances is just a giant random blinking mess. :suicide:


So what I need to do is convince the chief and/or chief engineer to let me fix this mess. However, I'm not quite sure how to approach this. Do you guys have any ideas?

I say go for it. If the members have never expressed an interest in emergency lighting, then I doubt that they'll notice. I've been contemplating doing the same thing on our tanker, my department is composed of a bunch of old geezers and I know that they won't notice. :razz: :haha:


Another agency that needs some lighting sync work, is my local SO........just imagine this............a big un-synced blob of TIR6 grille lights, Mirrorbeams and Vertex's......(some of which aren't even on the same pattern) :suicide: :no: :hopeless:

 

[ff168577]

When we got our new engines in 2008 the chief engineer at time thought it was a great idea to change the freedom around to the way he wanted it. He caused a huge split fail and a giant unsynced mess. I advised the chief it was unsafe, and that it looked like ass. We compared the two rigs (twins), and needless to say, the rig got changed back to the original set-up and the chief engineer was suspended for a few days. When I converted our oscilasers to 600 series, they would not allow me to sync them together by running wire where no one would ever see. I tried my best to set them up to look ok.


I would say do it. I doubt anyone will ever know.

 

[NPS Ranger]

Let me change the light patterns on our apparatus.

Congratulations, you have just passed Light-Whacker Qualification Test #16!

 

[hitman38367]

Just do it. Nike. Oh wait, wrong product. lol!! Change and sync em up. At least you will be safe for a little while until someone complains or someone says, "hey, aren't those lights blinking different than they were?". lol!!

 

[MEVS06]

Another agency that needs some lighting sync work, is my local SO........just imagine this............a big un-synced blob of TIR6 grille lights, Mirrorbeams and Vertex's......(some of which aren't even on the same pattern) :suicide: :no: :hopeless:

My patrol unit was like this until I talked to my Chief and he clearly said "I dont give a f@#k what you do to your unit, you are the only person on the dept that knows what the f@#k you are doing any way so do what you want to the units". So now all my lights except for my grill lights are on single flash 75, I have not had time to pull the grill back on my Tahoe yet... Much brighter now and I can be seen for miles.

 

[dcfrmp255]

This afternoon, I synced the rear LED's and changed the pattern of the strobe pack on our brush truck also synced and changed the pattern of the grille lights on our tanker from the split fail that the county shop guys did........they will never notice... :razz:

 

[philyumpshus]

It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Like everyone said, if they don't know enough to sync them or change the patterns, they won't notice when you do. My department had just gotten a new ambulance with five 600 Series' across the back in R/B/A/R/B and the way they were flashing had red and blue coming on together. I brought it up but was shot down because God forbid that anyone cares how the lights are set up. So one day, I just went in and swapped a blue and red head a voila, we didn't have red and blue flashing together. And I know for a FACT that no one noticed besides the member who helped me change them, who is also a member of ELB.

 

[tsquale]

Welp...I was caught in the act last night changing a few more light heads by one of the captains. He stood their, shook his head, and just walked away. :thumbsup:

 

[dcfrmp255]

It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Like everyone said, if they don't know enough to sync them or change the patterns, they won't notice when you do. My department had just gotten a new ambulance with five 600 Series' across the back in R/B/A/R/B and the way they were flashing had red and blue coming on together. I brought it up but was shot down because God forbid that anyone cares how the lights are set up. So one day, I just went in and swapped a blue and red head a voila, we didn't have red and blue flashing together. And I know for a FACT that no one noticed besides the member who helped me change them, who is also a member of ELB.

I wish we could add some more rear lighting to our brush truck because all we have are two SHO-ME trio lightheads.........the Streethawk is blocked by two flood lights... :hopeless: :duh: Same thing for the tanker.......all that we have in the rear are two led beacons mounted up top.....the lightbar is blocked by the booster reel... :hopeless: :duh:

 

[FSEP]

Just to give you all an update, I'll actually start doing this next week.


However, we had an AFA a couple days ago and a couple of the lights that were out of sync were now in sync. Me thinks someone else had the same idea as me. :undecided: