Comments on: Red Lights to the Left of them, Blue to the right! – Coloring Emergency Lighting http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/ This blog is about EMS, and one Paramedic's quest to make this the profession it deserves to be. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:36:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Cortxseries http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-3786 Cortxseries Sat, 30 Apr 2011 07:18:00 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-3786 Here on my fire department here in Missouri, our engine runs red, blue, white, amber, and green. Green is only used for incident command around here. Our Fire, LE, and EMS official vehicles can run whatever color they wish, but when it comes to POV, blue only, but I have seen many run red and blue and never get a word said to them, so im not so sure anymore how that goes. I myself run blue, with siren. I rarely need to run code, since I am only 3 blocks from the station and usually first their, but I do because I have an a$$h0l3 neighbor. Here on my fire department here in Missouri, our engine runs red, blue, white, amber, and green. Green is only used for incident command around here. Our Fire, LE, and EMS official vehicles can run whatever color they wish, but when it comes to POV, blue only, but I have seen many run red and blue and never get a word said to them, so im not so sure anymore how that goes. I myself run blue, with siren. I rarely need to run code, since I am only 3 blocks from the station and usually first their, but I do because I have an a$$h0l3 neighbor.

]]> By: bwebber09 http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-3656 bwebber09 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:01:00 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-3656 what if i put a green bubble dash light and used it for fun here in south carolina, would i get arrested? what if i put a green bubble dash light and used it for fun here in south carolina, would i get arrested?

]]> By: ncvac3 http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-3639 ncvac3 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:08:00 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-3639 Here in NY Red / White / Amber with 1 blue to the rear Police Red / White / Amber Ambulance (some also have blue to the rear) Blue for Volunteer FD (courtesy light) Green for Volunteer EMS (courtesy light) Purple for Clergy / Funeral Amber for Safety -- Tow, Plows, DOT ect New York also states for volunteers that they must have either blue or green forward but can have any color to the rear. Here in NY
Red / White / Amber with 1 blue to the rear Police
Red / White / Amber Ambulance (some also have blue to the rear)
Blue for Volunteer FD (courtesy light)
Green for Volunteer EMS (courtesy light)
Purple for Clergy / Funeral
Amber for Safety — Tow, Plows, DOT ect
New York also states for volunteers that they must have either blue or green forward but can have any color to the rear.

]]> By: Peach http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-3636 Peach Tue, 30 Nov 2010 05:31:00 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-3636 Agreed...when I first started in emergency services in the great *cough* state of New Jersey, it was Baby Blues only...a waste of money if you had to buy them yourself. Since moving to Wisconsin, I have found that Reds and Sirens Work...MOST people will move out of your way...I really not need to BREAK the law (speed, run intersections) if people move out of the way, I still get to the FD quicker then I would with no warning devices. Agreed…when I first started in emergency services in the great *cough* state of New Jersey, it was Baby Blues only…a waste of money if you had to buy them yourself. Since moving to Wisconsin, I have found that Reds and Sirens Work…MOST people will move out of your way…I really not need to BREAK the law (speed, run intersections) if people move out of the way, I still get to the FD quicker then I would with no warning devices.

]]> By: FireForYou http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-3635 FireForYou Tue, 30 Nov 2010 05:27:00 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-3635 Nationwide System = Agreed I now live in Central Wisconsin but when I used to live west of the Eau Claire area this was sometimes a problem for me. To avoid the headache I never "hard" installed any of my warning lights. I never did have an issue on the few occasions I left my lights on the dash when I crossed over into Minn, however I did get questioned one time by a Saint Paul officer in regards to my radio scanner. Mobile or scanner use in a motor vehicle is illegal in Minn unless you are a sworn officer. As a professional courtesy he did not write me on it, I was not running the scanner at the time he stopped me for my out tail light I was not aware of. Blue for Law Enforcement Red for Fire/EMS White Universal Amber Universal/Other Warning Vehicles Green/Purple ECT for...whatever? LoL Nationwide System = Agreed

I now live in Central Wisconsin but when I used to live west of the Eau Claire area this was sometimes a problem for me. To avoid the headache I never “hard” installed any of my warning lights. I never did have an issue on the few occasions I left my lights on the dash when I crossed over into Minn, however I did get questioned one time by a Saint Paul officer in regards to my radio scanner. Mobile or scanner use in a motor vehicle is illegal in Minn unless you are a sworn officer. As a professional courtesy he did not write me on it, I was not running the scanner at the time he stopped me for my out tail light I was not aware of.

Blue for Law Enforcement
Red for Fire/EMS
White Universal
Amber Universal/Other Warning Vehicles
Green/Purple ECT for…whatever? LoL

]]> By: John Broyles http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-3525 John Broyles Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:08:00 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-3525 Here in downstate IL (a little farther south of you) blue is for Volunteers no siren. PURPLE is used for FUNERALS Here in downstate IL (a little farther south of you) blue is for Volunteers no siren.

PURPLE is used for FUNERALS

]]> By: Driver trainer http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-3476 Driver trainer Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:07:00 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-3476 After reading rules or emergency light on emergency units put out by the USDOT I would like to see them used country wide. They showed in areas of less than 500,000 people that red/blue/yellow/white and for areas over 500,000 people all red on ambulances & fire trucks, all blue on police, green on Federal units only. This works well in my rural area, white LEDS are seen farther ahead during the daylight, red works well at night and blue cuts the fog better. In my own car/truck I have a blue/white to respond for I am a first responder. We do not use light in personal units to respond to the station in our ambulance service but the fire dept does. I have not had my light on the dash for over two year but once setting on the interstate in which I set it in the back window so people could see it coming up. I was pulled over in WIS about one year ago because I had blue lights on my ambulance. It would be nice to see everything the same across the country. It is a pain when you are transporting someone to Minnesota to a hospital and get stopped by some young trooper trying to find something to right a ticket for. After reading rules or emergency light on emergency units put out by the USDOT I would like to see them used country wide. They showed in areas of less than 500,000 people that red/blue/yellow/white and for areas over 500,000 people all red on ambulances & fire trucks, all blue on police, green on Federal units only. This works well in my rural area, white LEDS are seen farther ahead during the daylight, red works well at night and blue cuts the fog better. In my own car/truck I have a blue/white to respond for I am a first responder. We do not use light in personal units to respond to the station in our ambulance service but the fire dept does. I have not had my light on the dash for over two year but once setting on the interstate in which I set it in the back window so people could see it coming up.
I was pulled over in WIS about one year ago because I had blue lights on my ambulance. It would be nice to see everything the same across the country. It is a pain when you are transporting someone to Minnesota to a hospital and get stopped by some young trooper trying to find something to right a ticket for.

]]> By: dsiskhxg http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-2664 dsiskhxg Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:53:45 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-2664 <strong>dsiskhxg...</strong> dsiskhxg... dsiskhxg…

dsiskhxg…

]]> By: Seanm028 http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-1961 Seanm028 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:22:00 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-1961 I personally like Arizona's policy: Amber is meant for caution, and can be used by anyone who would need to warn other motorists to be cautious (construction vehicles, etc.). You do not need any legal authority to use amber. Every other color (red, blue, green, purple, chartreuse...) is reserved for emergency vehicles only, as designated by the State Department of Transportation. Any emergency vehicle can use any color or combination of colors. I personally like Arizona’s policy: Amber is meant for caution, and can be used by anyone who would need to warn other motorists to be cautious (construction vehicles, etc.). You do not need any legal authority to use amber.

Every other color (red, blue, green, purple, chartreuse…) is reserved for emergency vehicles only, as designated by the State Department of Transportation. Any emergency vehicle can use any color or combination of colors.

]]> By: John http://lifeunderthelights.com/2010/04/red-lights-to-the-left-of-them-blue-to-the-right-coloring-emergency-lighting/comment-page-1/#comment-1858 John Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:03:30 +0000 http://lifeunderthelights.com/?p=788#comment-1858 In New Mexico, red is the only recognized emergency color. Many agencies use a combination of lighting but red is the only one that matters. There is no "standard" in NM. Tow trucks can use anything but red. Volunteers can operate red lights and sirens but it is frowned upon these days. To top it all off, the restriction on red lights is "forward facing only" so we see highway/construction using red to the rear, probably to get people to slow down. Green is still used mostly for the ICP, LE uses red/blue mostly, fire uses red/amber/white mostly and EMS uses mostly red/white. In New Mexico, red is the only recognized emergency color. Many agencies use a combination of lighting but red is the only one that matters. There is no “standard” in NM. Tow trucks can use anything but red. Volunteers can operate red lights and sirens but it is frowned upon these days. To top it all off, the restriction on red lights is “forward facing only” so we see highway/construction using red to the rear, probably to get people to slow down. Green is still used mostly for the ICP, LE uses red/blue mostly, fire uses red/amber/white mostly and EMS uses mostly red/white.

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