Posted: 12/13/2009 8:02:28 PM EDT
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Im a volunteer firefighter in a very rural area. So no real regulations on emergency lights. Can someone recommend a good magnetic light for my personal vehicle when responding to a fire? |
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Yes, there are regulations, even in a rural area. Your County LE and State Patrol will love to hook up a firefighter that demonstrates tendencies of being a bit of an adrenaline junkie and starts to actually prove it.
Why don't you ask your Fire Chief for permission first? You may need his authorization to be an authorized emergency vehicle. How's your insurance company like the idea of you running with them? May want to consider the liability you're going to assume. Got any emergency vehicle operation training? You may want to hold back on the lighting up of your personal truck. There are countless stories of newbie firefighters doing stupid stuff with lights on their vehicles because they lack the maturity they need for that work. I say this because of how your post is written and the words you chose, you might need to learn a bit first. |
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Quoted:
Lights held on by magnets should generally not be used when the vehicle is in motion. That is the common thing posted by the manufacturers, but they make magnets that will hold in excess of 100 mph. Their concern is the item will dislodge in an accident. My concern is more about the accident than my light flying off 
Find a quality one and realize the warning capabilities (or lack thereof) before you buy it. |
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Quoted: Yes, there are regulations, even in a rural area. Your County LE and State Patrol will love to hook up a firefighter that demonstrates tendencies of being a bit of an adrenaline junkie and starts to actually prove it. Why don't you ask your Fire Chief for permission first? You may need his authorization to be an authorized emergency vehicle. How's your insurance company like the idea of you running with them? May want to consider the liability you're going to assume. Got any emergency vehicle operation training? You may want to hold back on the lighting up of your personal truck. There are countless stories of newbie firefighters doing stupid stuff with lights on their vehicles because they lack the maturity they need for that work. I say this because of how your post is written and the words you chose, you might need to learn a bit first. Thanks for the advice. Your concerns are legitimate. The chief doesn't have a problem with it and runs a blue one. I guess I should just ask him where he bought it, I tried to google it and didn't really come up with anything. |
Know your applicable laws - from the IA state Code:321.423 Flashing lights.b. "Fire department" means a paid or volunteer fire protection service provided by a benefited fire district under chapter 357B or by a county, municipality or township, or a private corporate organization that has a valid contract to provide fire protection service for a benefited fire district, county, municipality, township or governmental agency. c. "Member" means a person who is a member in good standing of a fire department or a person who is an emergency medical care provider employed by an ambulance, rescue, or first response service. b. On a vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn, a mechanical failure, or an emergency stop or intent to stop. c. On a motor vehicle used by a rural mail carrier when stopping or stopped on or near a highway in the process of delivering mail, if such a light is any shade of color between white and amber and if it is mounted as a dome light on the roof of the vehicle. e. A flashing blue light on a vehicle upon which a blue light is permitted pursuant to subsection 3 of this section. g. A white flashing strobe light mounted on a school bus as permitted under section 321.373, subsection 7. 3.Blue light. A blue light shall not be used on any vehicle except for the following: b.A vehicle authorized by the chief of the fire department if the vehicle is owned by a member of the fire department, the request for authorization is made by the member on forms provided by the department, and necessity for authorization is demonstrated in the request. c. An authorized emergency vehicle, other than a vehicle described in paragraph "a" or "b", if the blue light is positioned on the passenger side of the vehicle and is used in conjunction with a red light positioned on the driver side of the vehicle. A person shall not use only a blue light on a vehicle unless the vehicle meets the requirements of paragraph "a" or "b". 4. Expiration of authority. The authorization shall expire at midnight on the thirty-first day of December five years from the year in which it was issued, or when the vehicle is no longer owned by the member, or when the member has ceased to be an active member of the fire department or of an ambulance, rescue, or first response service, or when the member has used the blue or white light beyond the scope of its authorized use. A person issued an authorization under subsection 3, paragraph "b", shall return the authorization to the fire chief upon expiration or upon a determination by the fire chief or the department that the authorization should be revoked. 5.When used. The certificate of authorization shall be carried at all times with the certificate of registration of the authorized vehicle and the operator of the vehicle shall not illuminate the blue or white light except in any of the following circumstances: a.When the member is en route to the scene of a fire or is responding to an emergency in the line of duty requiring the services of the member. b.When the authorized vehicle is transporting a person requiring emergency care. c.When the authorized vehicle is at the scene of an emergency. d.The use of the blue or white light in or on a private motor vehicle shall be for identification purposes only. <snip> 7. Flashing white light. Except as provided in section 321.373, subsection 7, and subsection 2, paragraph "c" of this section, a flashing white light shall only be used on a vehicle in the following circumstances: (2) The request for authorization is made by the member on forms provided by the Iowa department of public health. (4) The head of an ambulance, rescue, or first response service certifies that the member is in good standing and recommends that the authorization be granted. The Iowa department of public health shall adopt rules to establish issuance standards, including allowing local emergency medical service providers to issue certificates of authorization, and shall adopt rules to establish certificate of authorization revocation procedures. FYI: that phrase "identification purposes only" means that the use of that light by itself does not give you the same ability to demand right-of-way of a marked or department owned vehicle, so you're still required to obey posted or mechanical standards and controls, speed limits and other traffic laws. In Illannoys they're referred to as "courtesy lights", and carry the same lack of official weight. And as to where to get one? Galls, eGay, hell IIRC there were some for sale in the EE here. |