Lightbars in personal vehicles?

[Raf]

I have an EMT-B friend up in Maine and his employer gave him permission to have a strobe in the front of his personal vehicle so he can respond on his own. Anyone else have this? Anyone have a full lightbar or siren?

I guess you have to live in a pretty rural area to have that priviledge?

 

[disassociative]

I live in the country; ALL of our volunteer responders have lights and sirens on their vehicles. There are even a couple of medics that carry FULL ACLS kit in their vehicles. You are issued a vehicle tag that either reads, "Emergency" or "FireFighter" depending on your ranking in EMS and/or facility.


I have a full Trunk Scanner in my Sunfire along with strobes, siren, touch screen
satellite GPS, and wifi.

We go all out here in the Kuntry.

 

[Stevo]

screw that

your insurance agency voids any bad news you may get into the moment they learn about a red light permit, and your town will shun/flog/turn their back on you as well

just drive like the rest of t he world's a**holes, then your covered...

~S~

 

[disassociative]

Who said anything abt driving fast or unsafe? They even tell you to do the
speed limit in EVO Class. Almost 100% of the volunteers here have response vehicles with Jump Kits on board, and I haven't heard of one of them having any problem with their insurance company whatsoever.

Why on Earth would the town turn their back on you? People respect EMS here.
Why wouldn't they?

 

[Stevo]

Who said anything abt driving fast or unsafe?

your insurance company will disassociative. and when it comes down to a $$$ , so will your municipality, and everyone short of your dog

trust me on this

~S~

 

[disassociative]

My insurance company(Grange Mutual Casualty Company) knows that I have a light. The guy that handles my bill is a first responder.

 

[Stevo]

disassociative, if your insurance man is informed, aware, and made provisions for your redlight permit , you are indeed in the minority

may i suggest you educate your mates


~S~

 

[disassociative]

Then; it's good to be loved--as are my friends from: TN Farmers Casualty, Allstate, and the Ins companies that the other 300+ responders are with.

 

[Stevo]

yes disassociative, we are all our brothers keeper in ems

however, that sentiment doesn't always follow suit with the 'good hands' people

~S~

 

[disassociative]

I take it you speak from personal experience.

 

[emtd29]

Wanna know what's in/on my car???


NOTHING.

My dept forbids lightbars. however you can have 1 forward facing light.within the vehicle.

Considering the fact that the company that I belong to operates by the " duty shift " method, I'm already at the station house when the call comes over anyway, so the blue light isn't worth it.

 

[EMT2498]

My department allows either interior lights, or external lights. I have all interior LED's. With the exception of the two I have in my grill. I have the two in my grill, one deck light mounted in front of my rear view mirror, and two in my rear window. I am going to buy two more for my side windows this week so I'll have 360 coverage.

I'll take a pic. soon, its easier then describing .

 

[Jon]

I've got an amber rotator in my trunk, that I got as a blue light and swapped domes... I occasionally use it at work for replacement vehicles.

I don't currently use any lights in/on my vehicle - I'm not really active with my Fire Co right now (gotta love politics) and my Ambulance Co uses Duty Shifts and forbids blue lights.

 

[disassociative]

Rules are Red lights only here. ANY vehicle with a blue light must have a Gov plate or consent from the chief of police.

 

[MMiz]

In Michigan it's common for volunteer firefighters/EMS to have a full red lightbar up top. 100% of the people I know that have them are the farthest thing from a whacker, and the company's whackers don't have any lights. It's weird.

If I worked for a volunteer department I can't see myself having a light. Most insurance companies aren't too fond of the lights, and I'm a bit too fond of my insurance.

It's all about personal taste though. I think the classy thing to do is all interior LEDs with maybe a couple grill lights. I can't see that in my future either. EMS and teaching don't pay all that great,

 

[disassociative]

Yeah; I keep the windshield lights with the Stickeys; I just put them under my Sirius--and boom ready for action. I don't think I would go so far as to actually have a light bar on top of the car, lol.

I am however considering lights for the grill as well as:

http://galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=DL165&cat=2703

but here; if you have a truck AND YOU WANT TO GO ALL OUT WHACKER:

http://www.demers-ambulances.com/index.php?sectionId=191&productId=53

 

[emtbuff]

I have recently put wigwags in my car. As ambulance personal here we can only have white. I will say there were a good handful that put them in their vehicle. We had to get permits from the director and had to live a mile away from the station which now isn't hard to do. Our Fire Department is allowed to use Blue lights and if there is a fire you watch out for all the blue lights to come flying through. Kinda like the blue light express. We have to go through some minor training and are to follow the rules of the road way, I know it has been a challenge for a handful of them to do that. We have put articals in the paper asking for the right of way to be given to us and if the community views a person using their light in appropreately they can turn us in and we can have the privilage taken away. They are mainly for the crappy calls and aren't to be used on transfers.

 

[rescuecpt]

your insurance company will disassociative. and when it comes down to a $$$ , so will your municipality, and everyone short of your dog

trust me on this

~S~

Actually, no. I got involved in an accident going to the scene with my lights on, and the department paid my deductible, and my insurance company covered the accident. I was also told the department would cover the whole thing if my insurance didn't.

 

[ResTech]

In Pennsylvania laws are pretty clear about warning lights on personal vehicles... volunteer fire/ems personnel can have blue lights which must be visible 360 degrees (ie. no dash lights) although many run dashlights.. itz not really enforced.

And fire officers (chief, DC, and AC) and EMS officers (chief and DC) can run red lights and siren. I had my red strobe bar stolen and my ins co. covered the replacement cost and VFIS (my depts ins carrier) paid the deductible since it was magnetic mount and the thief slid it across my roof making my roof need a new paint job.

 

[FFEMT1764]

I have lights on both of my vehicles, interior and exterior to meet SC's law concerning 360 degree visibility from the HIGHEST point of the vehicle, so hence a light on the roof is the law...its not enforced though unless you are involved in an accident...which brings me to point number two, in SC if you are a Vol FF/EMS worker your insurance company must:1- cover your vehicle lights or no lights as long as you pay the premium on time, 2- they can not charge you some outlandish rate for insurance, i.e. you pay the same premium as jonq public would with similar coverage amounts andf driving history. It is optional as to your department letting you use such lights...I get to use mine alot as when I am off my 48hrs I am the only FF in the district that can run both our engines with their eyes closed, and I am the only person around in the day usually too that is able to run medical calls.