Volunteer POV lights

[Fred03]

Hey folks I have been having trouble coming up with a list of what lights the different VFFs across America and Canada can run. For those of you who are volunteer firefighters or know about your local VFFs please post your light color, state, and any other relevant information.
Thanks
Here is what I have

British Columbia- no lights
Illinois-Amber and Blue only

Massachusetts- Red with siren
Missouri-Blue, white with sirens for chiefs.
Nova Scotia- Green courtesy lights, Chiefs-Red
Newfoundland- Blue lights for VFFs (civilians too)
New York-Blue only
New Jersy-Blue lights but no speeding, red for chiefs and officers
Ohio-Red only
Ontario-Green
Pennsylvania-Blue (2 max), red and sirens for chiefs
South Carolina-no blue lights, anything else is okay
Texas- Red and white
Wisconsin-Red, must run siren when responding.

[JimmyKid]

Onondaga County, New York

(Actually, I think all of NY) - Blue

[Fred03]

Thank you much, Blue seems to be very common across America.

[Newfoundking]

Canada varies by province to province. Most provinces do not have restrictions on lights, other than no reds. There is one province that allows reds and sirens for volunteers though. I can't recall which one.

Some places reserve green for volunteer POV courtesy lights, like Nova Scotia, and others have no legal restrictions, like here in Newfoundland. Now mind you, I it's completely legal to run blues on any vehicle in Newfoundland, however some departments will say don't do it anyways.

Finally, as far as I know, all volunteer chiefs are allowed to use red lights and sirens

[squamishfire]

In BC if i remember correctly no pocv or vol can't have any lights on their vehicles.

The one ur think boss cat is Saskatchewan I believe or it might be Manitoba. I have hears that.

In Ontario your allowed a green light.

It might be that if your vehicle has a provincial license plate then your allowed a light of some kind. I haven't checked on this though.

[Fred03]

Thanks Bosscat. I had heard that some Canadian vollys used green lights. It always seemed to me like a strange color for a emergency vehicle, but is suppose it is unusual and as such is more likely to catch someones attention and that is what matters. And it is strange that everyone in NFL can run blue lights.

And thanks squamishfire, it seems really strange that volunteers in BC can't have any lights.

[squamishfire]

Fred the actual rigs don't have green lights lol. Their personal vehicles do

[Fred03]

I know. Sorry if my post was misunderstood. It just seems like the POVs should have lights on them seeing as they need to get to the fire station in a hurry in order to protect their community. I mean the least they could do to people who are willing to risk their lives at a moments notice is give them a flashing light for their personal truck.

[squamishfire]

I was just checking

The problem a lot of provinces and departments find is that when they start to allow their members to deck our their personal vehicles they then start to feel like as if that vehicle of theirs is more like a emergency vehicle, then they are blowing lights or using the lights improperly.

I am originally from BC from a department there and i didn't have a light so its fine. Post ffs don't get lights.

[Fred03]

Well in most states a POV IS a emergency vehicle, and justifiably so in my opinion, if the volunteers don't get to the station quickly the fire truck's don't leave the station quickly and buildings burn down and people die. In my state and others vollys can run about 10mph over the speed limit when responding so they do get some leeway, they do not however get to run stop signs and traffic lights.

[tallen01]

Texas- Red/White lights.

[Fred03]

Thanks tallen01. Also feel free to include info on if you can speed or not and the use of sirens.

[EmergencyFan97]

South Carolina, 'Murica. We can run lights, speed, and put whatever th'hell we want on our cars, cept maybe blue lights. Also, POVs are lawfully an emergency vehicle.

[jrff64]

In PA cheifs are allowed to run red lights and sirens but everyone below them is only allowed to run blue lights

[njboy13]

New Jersey volly's can have a blue light. They must have a blue lens and the lamp can be no more than 51 candlepower. It can only be a strobe, halogen, incandescent light, or a combination of those. Must be placed in the center of the dashboard, or on the roof if it's a light bar type. Having a blue light is a privilege and DOES NOT make your car an emergency vehicle, and I like it that way despite many volunteers possessing blue lights seem to think otherwise. You can not speed, or disobey traffic laws. All laws must be followed, and if they are not, you're blue light privilege can be revoked and you will also be fined, and more than likely be suspended or forced to leave your department.

Do people follow all of those rules? Rarely.

Oh and chiefs or officers of volly squads/departments can have a red light and (I think) a siren in addition to the blue, but must follow the same rules.

[tallen01]

Thanks tallen01. Also feel free to include info on if you can speed or not and the use of sirens.

Speed is 10 miles over posted speed limit and sirens are up to the captain. Our particular Vol. Fire Dept. does not allow sirens. Also, when we are going through a school zone, even if in the middle of the night, we have to turn all the lights and sirens (on the truck) off until we pass it.

[bama1234]

Alabama. From what I understand only designated emergency vehicles are allowed to run colored lights. You can try to get designated from either the State Trooper's office or the local municipal police chief. This is very hard/rare to get because they assume responsibility for the vehicle when giving such a designation. Law enforcement may look the other way if you choose to run colored lights as a VFF, but they can legally bust you with a ticket and if you get in an accident from something like speeding or running a light then you're in trouble.

I'm getting my info from personal knowledge and some quick research so if you want to use concrete information you may just want to double-check me first.

[met police999]

its a shame we dont have VFF here in the UK

ps:i have a funny feeling im wrong saying that lol

[Fred03]

I think that if the UK has VFDs they are very rare. Seeing as European cities have all been around longer than American cities paid departments would have been established a long time ago. Also I may be wrong but I would say that cities in the UK tend to be larger than the little rural towns in America that have volunteer departments.

Edit

From Wikipedia:

In the United Kingdom there are three volunteer fire departments. The Auxiliary Fire Service is now disbanded, but part-time members of fire brigades who man smaller, often rural, stations are known as retained firefighters. Retained firefighters are fully trained personnel who provide cover on top of their regular jobs and live in the vicinity of a fire station. The only volunteer fire stations can be found at Gordonstoun School in the Grampian area of Scotland, and pupils over the age of 16 may train to become firefighters and respond to calls within the vicinity (although they are not paid). Another volunteer fire station is in Peterborough, England, this is manned by the Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade. This fire station whilst operating like a Retained unit is contracted to provide a service to the Cambridgeshire Fire Service. There is also Borth Volunteer Fire Station, near Aberystwyth, Wales.

[met police999]

yea just after i posted that i remembered about retained FFs it would be a good escuse to get out of class eh? HAHA lol

[n00bingtarget]

When I was a Vol FF, we could run Red Lights, but had to have a siren also. We could keep red lights in our vehicle for scene warning without a siren, but could not drive with it active then. Vilas County, Wisconsin, USA.

That was quite a while ago though, so I don't know if the laws have changed now or not. I see lots of Vol FF vehicles around my area, they do have lights on them, and all appear to be Red.

When I was a Vol FF, we could run Red Lights, but had to have a siren also. We could keep red lights in our vehicle for scene warning without a siren, but could not drive with it active then. Vilas County, Wisconsin, USA.

That was quite a while ago though, so I don't know if the laws have changed now or not. I see lots of Vol FF vehicles around my area, they do have lights on them, and all appear to be Red.

[Fred03]

Thanks for your information n00bingtarget, it has been added to the list on the original post.

[Newfoundking]

Thanks Bosscat. I had heard that some Canadian vollys used green lights. It always seemed to me like a strange color for a emergency vehicle, but is suppose it is unusual and as such is more likely to catch someones attention and that is what matters. And it is strange that everyone in NFL can run blue lights.

And thanks squamishfire, it seems really strange that volunteers in BC can't have any lights.

Newfoundland doesn't restrict light colors, especially blue, and is commonly seen on snow plows, contractors and utility vehicles.

BC volunteers not having lights can be better explained below.

I know. Sorry if my post was misunderstood. It just seems like the POVs should have lights on them seeing as they need to get to the fire station in a hurry in order to protect their community. I mean the least they could do to people who are willing to risk their lives at a moments notice is give them a flashing light for their personal truck.

Well in most states a POV IS a emergency vehicle, and justifiably so in my opinion, if the volunteers don't get to the station quickly the fire truck's don't leave the station quickly and buildings burn down and people die. In my state and others vollys can run about 10mph over the speed limit when responding so they do get some leeway, they do not however get to run stop signs and traffic lights.

The majority of studies I've seen show a complete disagreement with volunteer POV lights. In many rural settings, or settings where there would be volunteer response vehicles, there are very few traffic lights and major intersections. There's a volunteer fire department here that covers a semi-rural area. That area has two traffic light intersections. Realistically, few people EVER make a full stop at stop signs, and will do what is known as a "rolling stop." Also, most cops won't pull you over for anything less than 10 over the limit, which is usually the upper limit on emergency vehicles' speed. I'm not strongly opposed to it, but I will explain why I disagree with it.

• There is VERY few intersections, so a red light will not do anything that will be noticeable. Most studies show a speed of arrival of seconds or less faster, if at all for siren running POVs
  
• Many people driving POVs with sirens tend to think they're police cars, and will speed, blow intersections and do dangerous things. Trust me, I have seen it. The majority of wrecks involving Volunteer responders, including POVs as well as regular emergency vehicles, are POVs with sirens doing stupid things
  
• Insurance often freaks out and will wanna double or triple rates, as emergency vehicles have higher insurance rates than private vehicles
  
• A red light isn't a reward, it's a tool to respond. Anyone that thinks getting allowance to use it is a reward shouldn't be doing it.
  

[goog]

Just to add to the British Columbia part,where I lived before Surrey was a FD made up of both career (lieutenant and higher ups) to fire fighters which were all volunteers.To be considered you had live within city limits (5-10 minutes of the fire hall).

All volunteer members used personal vehicles (none had any emergency lights) to get to the station and were not allowed to speed or break any rules of the road.The driver lived right across the street and would run across to the hall and have the truck out and ready as other members would be arriving.

[Fred03]

I do understand that having a light makes people act stupid and take dangerous risks, however before I got my lights on my POV I would come up behind someone going 10 below the speed limit and I would be running hazards and honking and they would not get the message. That has changed since I got lights for my POV. I know the difference it makes is small but those seconds can help us save more property, if only a incremental amount.