Side Warning for a Ladder..?

[fireman616wfd]

Just was bouncing through youtube and saw this and it gave me a little laugh when it pulled out of the station and BAM! SIDE WARNING! all together.. poor

 

[tsquale]

Holy smokes! That sucker is brighter than most of our trucks combined! I'm not sure how that makes me feel though... It looks kind of goofy.

 

[fireman616wfd]

think if they were all set on "warp" flash.. :crazy:

 

[Station 3]

Thats nice

 

[TheHealer]

It's a little tough to tell being at night and the lights are LED, but I would venture to guess they are most likely Whelen 600 Series Super-LED's all set on the factory default Signal-Alert pattern. That is the biggest thing that irks me about most manufacturer's and upfitters today! Most just screw the light to the body of the vehicle and attach power and ground wires and call it a day. Few take the time to consider flash patterns, and how different sections of the perimeter of the vehicle will be lit up at any given time (visible). It kills me that they make you pay X amount of money for a vehicle and don't put any effort into it. Instead, when you turn on the lights, the entire truck lights up...then the entire truck is dark, etc. at least until the lights get out of sync but then the pattern returns every so often. Not very safe if you ask me.


I had a buddy of mine who is Amtrak Police show me his new slick top Expedition one night. The only complaint he had about it was he wished the Inner-Edge had takedowns, but he had tried every switch in the truck. He was amazed when I took him around front of the truck and showed him that he did in fact have takedowns, and that the shop just probably figured red to red, black to black...ooooohhh the red and blue works, all done!, and they never took the time to actually hook up power to the TD's. :duh:


On the other hand, it does keep me busy helping out the local departments, fixing flash patterns when the new vehicles come in, for a little pocket change.

 

[aberfitchguy2472]

Holy side warning...sunglasses anyone? It is really bright, but syncing the lights to have them alternate would give you better coverage so one part of the side would always have a light on instead of all on or off together.

 

[got_yogurt]

I like it all synched like that

 

[fireman616wfd]

yea im guessing they are the 600's also..

 

[theroofable]

It's a little tough to tell being at night and the lights are LED, but I would venture to guess they are most likely Whelen 600 Series Super-LED's all set on the factory default Signal-Alert pattern. That is the biggest thing that irks me about most manufacturer's and upfitters today! Most just screw the light to the body of the vehicle and attach power and ground wires and call it a day. Few take the time to consider flash patterns, and how different sections of the perimeter of the vehicle will be lit up at any given time (visible). It kills me that they make you pay X amount of money for a vehicle and don't put any effort into it. Instead, when you turn on the lights, the entire truck lights up...then the entire truck is dark, etc. at least until the lights get out of sync but then the pattern returns every so often. Not very safe if you ask me.

I had a buddy of mine who is Amtrak Police show me his new slick top Expedition one night. The only complaint he had about it was he wished the Inner-Edge had takedowns, but he had tried every switch in the truck. He was amazed when I took him around front of the truck and showed him that he did in fact have takedowns, and that the shop just probably figured red to red, black to black...ooooohhh the red and blue works, all done!, and they never took the time to actually hook up power to the TD's. :duh:


On the other hand, it does keep me busy helping out the local departments, fixing flash patterns when the new vehicles come in, for a little pocket change.

Our newer engine has all nfpa quad flashes (unsync) except one is set to signal alert. Looks very dumb!

 

[Wailer]

More lights, brighter lights, yes.


Mechanical siren, no.

 

[Travelin Man]

It's a little tough to tell being at night and the lights are LED, but I would venture to guess they are most likely Whelen 600 Series Super-LED's all set on the factory default Signal-Alert pattern. That is the biggest thing that irks me about most manufacturer's and upfitters today! Most just screw the light to the body of the vehicle and attach power and ground wires and call it a day. Few take the time to consider flash patterns, and how different sections of the perimeter of the vehicle will be lit up at any given time (visible). It kills me that they make you pay X amount of money for a vehicle and don't put any effort into it.

It's not the manufacturer's responsibility to do that. How long do you think it would take someone at Pierce to install 10 side warning lights, and then go through the proper flash pattern on each, standing back, evaluating each one until they think they have it right down the entire side of the vehicle. Then, once all done, for the customer to walk in and say, "but we want all of the lights on the side of the vehicle to turn off and on at once?" Back to square one...


I like that everyone says, "my god that's bright!" and then in the next sentence say, "that's not safe, they all on and off at the same time." Oxymoronic...


[/rant]

 

[charlie82]

:undecided:

It's not the manufacturer's responsibility to do that. How long do you think it would take someone at Pierce to install 10 side warning lights, and then go through the proper flash pattern on each, standing back, evaluating each one until they think they have it right down the entire side of the vehicle. Then, once all done, for the customer to walk in and say, "but we want all of the lights on the side of the vehicle to turn off and on at once?" Back to square one...

I like that everyone says, "my god that's bright!" and then in the next sentence say, "that's not safe, they all on and off at the same time." Oxymoronic...


[/rant]

With a Pierce Ladder costing in excess of $750K, yes it is there job to do that. Also, it's not oxymoronic. All on and all off is unsafe because the vehicle outline is not maintained. At least 1/3 of all the lights on each side should be illuminated at all times. Alternate lights.

 

[fireman616wfd]

:undecided:

With a Pierce Ladder costing in excess of $750K, yes it is there job to do that.

:iagree:

 

[WS224]

:undecided:

With a Pierce Ladder costing in excess of $750K, yes it is there job to do that. Also, it's not oxymoronic. All on and all off is unsafe because the vehicle outline is not maintained. At least 1/3 of all the lights on each side should be illuminated at all times. Alternate lights.

Nope - I am sure that they set the patterns to the way they are specified by the customer. If the customer does not specify, they hook them up the way they want.


You may or may not be correct - set up your truck the way you want. Leave everyone else's alone.

 

[mjohnston]

All the lights appear to be Whelen 600 series, but the outrigger lights look like 900 series.

 

[mjohnston]

New Deliveries | Photos, Specs & Drawings of Latest Deliveries | Pierce Manufacturing


Well here it is from Pierce's site. M Series, M6's and M9's. And real Q2B.

 

[TheHealer]

It's not the manufacturer's responsibility to do that. How long do you think it would take someone at Pierce to install 10 side warning lights, and then go through the proper flash pattern on each, standing back, evaluating each one until they think they have it right down the entire side of the vehicle. Then, once all done, for the customer to walk in and say, "but we want all of the lights on the side of the vehicle to turn off and on at once?" Back to square one...

I like that everyone says, "my god that's bright!" and then in the next sentence say, "that's not safe, they all on and off at the same time." Oxymoronic...


[/rant]

Travelin.....


I will agree with your statement half way...I think you are correct in saying it is not the assembly personnel at the manufacturer's job to spec your flash patterns for you.


That job should fall upon the sales rep and the apparatus committee to come up with. I remember years ago spec'ing a Lifeline Ambulance for my department. I knew the sales rep, and since he knew of my whacker tendencies already, he had no problem spending the better part of an 8 hour day going over the lighting package with me


Not in hat the truck had a gazillion overkill lights on it, but I wanted for example this lighthead to fire opposite this one, on this pattern, etc. Many thought I was crazy, but damned if you couldn't clearly see and make out the rough size/shape of that truck day or night.


I know people will bitch on here that it's not the apparatus manufacturer's/sales rep's job to design you blinkies for you, but I think that the good ones, and most of the good installers that frequent this board, do consider the little stuff like that, and will assist in guiding the customer along the way, going that little extra step if you will, to both make the customer happy and safe.


Just my $.02, take it or leave it...


Pete

 

[Travelin Man]

With a Pierce Ladder costing in excess of $750K, yes it is there job to do that.

I'm on an apparatus committee that spends $1.5M per year on apparatus, and I'm standing on the Pierce blue floor at least two or three times a year. If the customer puts in their specifications that they want to have the lights flash in a certain manner, than the manufacturer IS compelled to wire and/or sync the lights to the customer's satisfaction. Otherwise, it's financially irresponsible for them to take the time to sync the lights on the 1000 rigs a year that are coming out of Appleton.


I know most of you all don't agree with me, but it's simply not the manufacturer's responsibility...it's the customers.


FWIW, our latest Pierce tower ladder was $1.01M.

 

[Doug]

More lights, brighter lights, yes.

Mechanical siren, no.

Mechanical siren, ABSOLUTELY.

 

[Doug]

It's not the manufacturer's responsibility to do that.

I would agree, with one exception - if it's in the specs, signed off by the purchaser and the manufacturer, then it is both parties' responsibilities to live up to their end of the deal.


But if it's not in the specs - oh, well. Maybe you'll write it into the specs next time.

 

[Wailer]

Mechanical siren, ABSOLUTELY.

Mechanical sirens belong on antique fire engines, not modern fire engines.

 

[fireman616wfd]

Mechanical sirens belong on antique fire engines, not modern fire engines.

really?

 

[massfirefighter]

Mechanical sirens belong on antique fire engines, not modern fire engines.

Maybe in Canada, but here in the real world they're the only things that move traffic.

 

[myprixxx]

We use our mechanical on 99% of our calls. Waaaay more effective. But back to the video, I think the lighting is fantastically bright, but would certainly benefit from some of those alternating


Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Mechanical sirens belong on antique fire engines, not modern fire engines.

Mechanical is the only REAL siren! I think rigs should have both, but mechanical should DEFINITELY be on apparatus!!!